


Strip Forensics

by Andromytta



Series: Vegas Nights [2]
Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Genre: Crime Scenes, F/F, F/M, Mentions of miscarriage, Multi, Rape/Non-con Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-21
Updated: 2018-04-21
Packaged: 2019-04-25 20:42:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 21,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14386722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andromytta/pseuds/Andromytta
Summary: Detective Jude Harrison is developing a good reputation with the LVPD.  Of course, just when things start going well her dark past comes back to haunter her.





	1. Blown Cover

**Author's Note:**

> Another installment of my circa 2007 CSI Fan Fiction.

CSI-3 Warrick Brown crosses the crime scene tape, entering the alley behind the strip club.  He immediately spots the pretty young detective bent over studying the body.  
  
"Detective Harrison, we have to stop meeting like this!"  He greets her.

"Tell me about it!  I've been in Vegas for a month, and I've already been to this club over a dozen times!  Me and Johnny, the club manager, are becoming 'good friends'."  She says jokingly, "I think whenever dispatch hears anything about a disturbance at this place, they immediately think, 'Let's call Jude!'"

"Can you blame them?  They probably think you fit right in," he says, jokingly referring to her attire.

Jude has become "affectionately known as the "club kid detective" around the precinct.  Tonight, she continues to live up to that reputation.  She is dressed in a red leather pleated mini skirt, matching go-go boots, and a black lace tank top.  Her hair hangs in thick, chunky curls around her head.  Most of it is her natural shade of red-orange, but it is streaked with a shade of fire engine red that is most definitely _not_ found in nature.

"Alrighty, smart guy, then why do _you_ keep getting called out to this place?"

"Oh, that's easy.  Everyone knows these ladies love me and will tell me anything."

They continue to joke about why they keep getting called out to this club when before long; they are joined by CSI-1 Greg Sanders and Assistant Coroner David Phillips.  Greg looks at David and says, "It sounds like they're having too much fun for there to be a dead body over there."

"Yeah, maybe we should go.  I hear there's a double homicide in Henderson," David replies.

"Oh, no, there is definitely a dead body here," Jude states, "Sanders, I'm surprised to see you here.  The powers that be generally just leave me and Warrick to this place."

"Maybe somebody was worried about what might happen with the two of us spending all this time alone together," Warrick jokes.

Despite the jocularity happening around him, David had gotten straight to work examining the body of the dead stripper.  "She isn't wearing any underwear.  I'll do an SAE kit when I get back to the morgue."

"That could mean nothing, you know," Jude quips, "I mean I don't always wear panties."

"I think I'll still do an SAE kit.  It's procedure, after all," David responds.  "Detective, check out these contusions on the victim's neck."

Jude kneels down next to the victim's head and studies her neck.  "Oh, my.  It looks like she's been strangled.  Maybe by hand?"  She looks to David for confirmation and notices Greg looking sideways as if looking for something.  "Hey, Sanders, eyes front!  What are you looking for?"

"Oh, I was just checking to see if you were wearing underwear."

"Let me save you some effort.  I _always_ wear underwear at work."

"Oh," Greg responds, not even trying to hide the disappointment in his voice.

Jude stands up in an attempt to regain some control over the situation.  "Alright, now, which of you two science geeks is going in with me to talk to Johnny and the other dancers?"

"I'll go with you," Warrick replies, "As sick as I am of talking to that guy, these folks might be more forthcoming with familiar faces.  Greg, you process the alley.  David, I'll meet you back at the morgue when we're finished our interviews."  Warrick and Jude then head into the club.

"Detective Harrison, CSI Brown, what can I do for you this fine evening?"  Johnny greets them as they enter the club.

"We're here about the dead body in your alley," Jude responds.

"What?  Another one?"  Johnny asks in disbelief.

"Yeah, another one.  You didn't know?  If you didn't call it in, who did?"  Jude and Warrick look at each other, somewhat confused.

Warrick pulls out his cell phone.  "Dispatch, this is CSI Brown.  Can you tell me who called in the DB at Johnny's Dance Club?"  After giving them the address of the club, he waits for a response.  He then tells Jude, "It was an anonymous caller."

"So, who was it this time?"  Johnny asks, "Was it another tourist mugging gone bad?  Or another bum that died from exposure?"

"Neither, Johnny," Jude says gently, "This time, I'm afraid, it was one of your girls."

Johnny's face goes pale.  "Oh no.  Which one?  Can I see her?"

"You don't want to see her body in that condition," Warrick says, "Here look at this."  Warrick shows him the display screen from his digital camera.

"Oh dear God.  That's Patty Finch.  She was such a sweet girl.  Who would do this to her?"

"That is what we're going to find out."  Jude replies.

"I need to call her parents," Johnny says.

"No, that's my job.  I'll take care of it," Jude says, trying to comfort the apparently distraught manager.  "I hate to ask you this now, but its procedure.  CSI Brown needs to get a DNA sample and fingerprints from you."

"Yeah, sure, whatever you need."

"We'll also need to take a look around and talk to the other girls."

"Sure, go ahead."

Warrick calls Greg to come into the club to help collect DNA and fingerprints from the dancers and various other people who work at the club.  The two CSIs and the detective conduct interviews with everyone who worked at the club that night.  After talking to them, the crime solvers were told just one thing:  Johnny was in love with Patty, but she would never give him the time of day.  Having collected all the evidence, what little there was of it, they head back to the lab. 

Outside of the club, Warrick asks Jude, "What was with you being all touchy-feely with our prime suspect?  What happened to the hard-ass we've all come to know and love?"

Before answering, Jude wraps her arms around herself as if she were chilled.  Greg starts to put his arm around her to keep her warm, and she says, "Sanders, if any part of you touches any part of me, be prepared to pull back a bloody stub."

Laughing, Warrick says, "Yeah, that's what I'm talking about.  Where was that with good ol' Johnny?"

"Haven't you ever heard of lulling a suspect into a false sense of security?"  She says with mock sweetness.

"At least _somebody_ feels secure," Greg mutters under his breath.

Arriving at their cars, they get into their respective vehicles and drive away.

 

***

Back at the lab, Warrick wants to know what evidence Greg collected from the alley.  "There wasn't much to collect but a bunch of garbage.  It could be significant, but most likely, it’s just garbage.  I bagged it anyway.  But get this, the business on the other side of the alley has a security camera on the alley.  The feed goes off site, but the manager promised to send the tape over first thing in the morning."

"Good job.  I'm going to head over to the morgue and see what David and Doc Robbins found in autopsy."

At the morgue, Warrick finds Dr. Robbins alone with the body.  "Where's David?"

"He had a pick up at the hospital."

"So, what do you have for me, Doc?"

"COD is asphyxiation due to manual strangulation.  I swabbed the area and sent it over to DNA in case epithelial from the killer transferred to the victim."

"Good idea.  I'm going to take pictures with the UV camera to see if we can't pick up some fingerprints.  What about the SAE kit?"

"There were signs of sexual activity, but I can't verify if it was consensual or not.  There were traces of spermicide, but no semen.  Whoever she was with practiced safe sex."

"Is there anything else I need to know?"

"Not right now.  I bagged her clothing for you.  I might know more after post.  Has her family been notified?"

"Yeah.  Jude is working on that now.  I'm going to get this evidence back to the lab.  Call me if you find anything else."

"I will."

***

After dropping off the fingerprint evidence with Mandy and checking with Wendy for the DNA results, Warrick finds Greg in the layout room going through the garbage from the alley.  "Man, I sure hope you've got something from this trash.  Both Mandy and Wendy say they're backed up and will get their results to me when they can," Warrick says by way of a greeting when he walks into the room.

"Man, what is up with all the women in this precinct?  It's as if they are suddenly all against us," Greg gripes.

“I don't know.  What did happen between you and Jude anyway?  Did you sleep with her and then not call her or something?"

"No, I didn't sleep with her."

Warrick mutters an expletive under his breath as Nick walks by the room.  "Hey, Nicky!"  Warrick beckons him.  They meet just outside the door and Warrick hands him a 20.

Laughing, Nick says, "See, I told you they wouldn't sleep together.  Can I help it if the lady is warm for my form?"

Greg comes up behind them.  "You guys bet on whether or not Jude and I would sleep together?  Is there nothing you guys _won't_ bet on?"

"Aw, lighten up, dude," Nick chides him, "I'll split my winnings with you."

"I'd prefer it if you guys would just make yourselves useful and help me sort through this evidence."

"Alright, what have we got here?"  Nick asks.

"Trash from the alley where the dead stripper was found," Warrick responds.

The guys are sorting through the items, attempting to discern what is evidence and what is just trash, when Greg suddenly exclaims, "I cannot believe people throw this stuff away!"

"What have you got there?" Nick asks, looking over to see Greg holding up a Hux magazine from 2004.  "Do we have to once again listen to your tirade about how porn is like a family heirloom and should be passed down to future generations?"  Nick asks in mock dismay.

"No, I'll keep it to myself this time.  But, man, this is a classic issue.  This has a special section on the hottest DJs in the LA club scene!" he says as he flips through the magazine.  Warrick is about to say something to him about being careful with the evidence when Greg suddenly exclaims, "OH MY GOD!"  Who does this look like to you?"  He spreads out a centerfold of one of the LA DJs.  The young lady is lying on her stomach on a white fur rug.  Her feet are up and crossed at the ankles and ensconced in green strappy sandals with lethal looking spiked heels.  Her head is propped on one hand, and in her other she holds up a large green sucker.  Her arms barely conceal her breasts.  Her braided hair is arranged in four ponytails around her head and represents every color of the rainbow:  blue, orange, green, red, pink, and violet.

Warrick picks up the magazine and reads:  "Eliza Morgan, AKA 'DJ Lollipop.'  Called DJ Lollipop by her friends for her candy colored hair and propensity to enjoy a sucker or two while she spins.  Her interests include martial arts and great music.  When asked what her favorite music is, 'Lolli' responded: 'The Rolling Stones rock my world!'  I dunno, dude, who does she look like?" he adds after he finishes reading.

"Don't you see it?  That girl looks just like Jude!"

"Man, you have Jude on the brain!  Let me see that."  Nick says as he takes the magazine away from Warrick.  "Actually, it kind of does look like her.  But does she have this tattoo?"  Nick asks, pointing to a tat on her lower back of the comedy and tragedy masks.  The masks themselves were done in purple and they have pink ribbons flowing out from either side.

"Um, I actually never noticed.  Whenever I look at her backside, my eyes never go that far up," Greg replies.

"It wouldn't surprise me, though," Warrick adds, "She does have her belly button pierced."

"Yeah, and her tongue, too," Greg says with a slight smile.

The other two men look at him surprised.  "How do you know that?"  Nick asks.

"I noticed it when I kissed her," Greg responds.

"Aw, man!"  Nick says half to himself and hands the 20 back to Warrick.

Greg just shakes his head at them and states, "I'm going over to PD to have a chat with Jude."

***

When Greg arrives at the police station, he finds Jude at her desk with her head in her hands.  She looks like she had been crying.  Greg walks over to her and puts a hand on her shoulder.  "Are you OK?" he asks gently.

She looks up, startled by the sudden intrusion on her private thoughts.  "Oh, yeah, I'm fine.  I'm just exhausted."

"Are you sure?  You look like you've been crying."

"Who?  Me?  No, like I said, I'm just tired.  So, what's up?  I assume you have a reason for coming over here?"

"Oh, I just needed a break from the lab.  All that garbage sorting was getting to me."

"Don't you mean 'evidence sorting'," she responds with a bit of a smile.

"Yeah, I guess," he says, "So, what kind of progress have you made?  Have you contacted the victim's family yet?"

"Yeah.  I talked to her mother.  Apparently there is a boyfriend in the picture, though the mom didn't know much about him.  Oh, and she was about to quit dancing."

"Did her mother say why?"

"No, I don't think she knew," she responds, then she adds, "Did. Dr. Robbins do a pregnancy test on the victim?"

"I'm not sure.  Why?"

"Well, I knew quite a few dancers back in LA, and while there are many reasons why they quit, pregnancy is the most common."

"I'll call the morgue right now and have the test run," Greg says, and then he pulls out his cell to make the call.

Jude is reviewing her interview notes when she decides they have to go back to the club the next day.  "The vic's best friend wasn't working tonight.  I need to go back and talk to her and see if I can't get a lead on the boyfriend."

"I'll go over to the morgue and get the results of the test."

"Call me when you know something.  There's not much more I can do this," Jude looks at her watch, "very early morning.  Now, it's up to you science nerds.  I'm wiped, so I'm going to go home and get some sleep."  As if to emphasize her point, Jude stands up and indulges in a serious stretch.  As she is stretching, the hem of her shirt lifts away from her skirt, and Greg notices a hint of pink and purple ink peeking above the waistband of her skirt.  Jude notices him looking in the general direction of her rear and asks, "Are you still trying to see if I'm wearing panties?"

"Oh, no, actually, I was just noticing your ink."

"What?  You're surprised I have a tattoo?"

"Uh, no," he says awkwardly, then, before he can lose his nerve, he asks, "When you knew those dancers in LA, did they call you Jude or Eliza?"

Jude's face goes slack with surprise, but she recovers quickly.  "I have no idea what you are talking about," she says, as she rushes out the door.

Greg catches up with her at her car.  "Wait a minute.  Are you going to tell me you didn't pose for Hux magazine in 2004, but a girl who bears a striking resemblance to you and with your same tattoo did?"

"And where did you come across this picture?" she asks, barely suppressing the fear in her voice.

"I found the magazine at the crime scene."

"Where?"

"About a foot from the body."

"Did it ever occur to you that it could be related to the case?  I've been out to that club 15 times this month, and not once did we find and old magazine.  Did you guys check every page?"

"Uh...no.  We kind of stopped at the centerfold."  Greg's cell phone rings, interrupting the conversation.

"Hey, it's Warrick.  Guess what?  Our vic is in the magazine.  Someone scrawled 'slut' across her picture.  I think whoever killed her left it behind for us.  Nick is checking it for prints now.  And you'd better get back here before Grissom realizes you're gone."

Greg hangs up his phone and looks at Jude.  "You're right.  The magazine is related to the case."  He fills her in on what he just learned.  "I've got to get back to the lab."

"Yeah, go.  I'm going to hit the computer and see if there are any other cases with a similar M.O.," Jude responds, with a slightly vacant look in her eyes.

***

The next evening, in a far better mood, Jude goes to the lab and finds Warrick and Greg in the conference room discussing the case.  She bursts in and makes a beeline for Greg.  "Oh good, coffee!" she says as she grabs the cup out of his hands.  He gives her a slightly offended look and starts to say something, but after taking a quick sip of coffee, she rushes on before anyone can say anything.  "It's been quite a shift already.  I checked the computer and found two other crimes that fit our M.O.  One in Denver from a year ago and another in San Francisco from six months ago.  The departments are emailing the case files to us as we speak."

"Whoa, slow down," Warrick says, "Did you get a lead on the mystery boyfriend?"

"No, and that's another thing.  The other two vics had mystery boyfriends, too.  Their friends and family knew they were seeing someone, but had no idea who.  My theory is that the killer isn't just stalking these girls, he finds them, romances them, and then kills them."

"It's a good theory, but we have to see if the evidence supports it," Warrick says, then adds, "that sounded a little too much like Grissom."

"Yeah, just a little," Jude says, then looks over at Greg, who still looks slightly perturbed that she took his coffee cup.  "Any comments from the peanut gallery?" she asks.

"Yeah, 1965 called and it wants its wardrobe back," he says in reference to her black turtle neck, blue jean hot pants, and black jack boots.   Then, in a more business-like manner, he adds, "Did those girls pose for the magazine, too?"

"Actually, I don't know.  The detectives I talked to said that a magazine was found near the body, but they didn't remember if the vics had been in it.  That's why I'm here.  I need to look at the magazine."

"Oh, I've got you covered," Greg says as he pulls a magazine out from somewhere.

"I hope you didn't remove that from the evidence locker," Warrick says.

"No, it's my own personal copy.  Now, what are the girls' names?"

"The one from Denver is a lawyer named Rochelle James and the San Francisco girl is Tina Holley, a lingerie model."

Greg flips through the magazine.  "See, this issue was special; it didn't feature any of the normal Huxley Kitties.  It was a look at 'regular girls'.  There were four categories featured:  Ivy League Babes, and yeah, there's our lawyer," he holds up the magazine and shows the others the feature on the African American beauty.  "The next category was 'Lovely Ladies of Lingerie.  See these models _really_ bare it all.'  Yeah, and here's the model."  He shows them the stunning brunette from San Francisco.  "And here is our vic, in the 'Girls of the Las Vegas "Strip".  It's a feature on, get this, Las Vegas strippers.  And, finally, the one category _not_ represented by a dead girl," he looks pointedly at Jude, "Hottest DJs in LA."

"OK, so we've got a blonde, a brunette, and an African American," Warrick says, "all from different worlds.  Do they have anything else in common but this magazine?"

"I don't know if it's significant or not," Greg suddenly pipes up, "but all three girls were photographed by the same guy.  Ivan Struvetski."

"OK, so maybe we'd better see which of the DJs were photographed by Mr. Strutvetski and warn them."

"I'm already on it.  There were only two.  DJ Tangerine and DJ Lollipop," Greg responds.

"I'll take care of it," Jude suddenly interjects, "I'll get in touch with my former partner in LA and see if he can get in touch with the DJs."  Before Greg can make another comment about Jude's resemblance to the candy-colored DJ, her PDA gives off a loud alert.  She pulls it out of her pocket and reads the message, then announces, "It looks like the evidence from the other two cases has come in.  We've got video from the other two alleys to compare with ours, plus fingerprints, and trace analysis.  No DNA, though."

"Well, that makes sense," Warrick says, "there wasn't any foreign DNA on our vic, either."

"Alright, so shall we divide and conquer?"  Jude asks.  "Who wants what?"

"I'll take fingerprints," Greg volunteers, "Mandy owes me a favor."  As he leaves the room, Jude grabs his fedora off his head and places it on her own.  Warrick gives her and odd look.

"What?" she asks, "It looks cuter on me."

Warrick just shakes his head, "Why don't you two just sleep together and get it over with?"

"Ewwww...I am _so_ not interested in him."

"Yeah, right.  So which do you want, video or trace?"

"Oh, I'll take video.  Hodges gives me the creeps."

"Alright, I'll let you know what I find out."

"Yeah, me too."

Warrick left the room first, and Jude followed.  As soon as she thinks no one is around, she pulls out her cell phone and makes a call.  She walks and talks on her way to AV.  "Hey, Annie, it's me.  I know I haven't been in touch.  I hope you understand why I had to drop out of sight after the trial.  Anyway, don't ask me how I know this, but someone is killing girls who posed for Ivan.  Just watch your back.  I'll check in on you soon, Sweetie."  She hangs up that call and makes another.

As she walks by the print lab, part of her conversation floats in.  Mandy looks at Greg and asks, "Was she speaking Russian?"

"Who knows.  She is a girl of many mysteries."

"Hey," Mandy says suddenly, "It looks like I've got something for you."  She prints something off the computer. 

Greg grabs the printout and studies it.  "Is this right?"

"Yeah, I checked it twice.  Unfortunately, there were no hits in AFIS, but this definitely connects the three crime scenes."

"Oh, yeah, it's a good place to start, that's for sure.  I've got to get this to Warrick and Jude.  Thanks, Mandy."

"No problem.  Just doing my job."

"And you do it so well!"  Greg leaves the print lab to look for Jude.

Greg is standing outside the AV lab watching Jude flirt shamelessly with Archie for several minutes.  He sticks his head in and says, "Hey, Jude, I may have just broken the case!"

"Alrighty," she says.  Jude waves to Archie before joining Greg in the hall.

"Were you just flirting with Archie?"

"Yeah, maybe just a little bit," she responds, holding her fingers together to indicate just how "little" she was flirting.

"He has a girlfriend, you know," Greg says as he once again retrieves his hat from her head.

"Yeah, I know he does.  There is just something about a cute guy in a lab coat.  I just can't help myself."

"You know, I have a lab coat, too," Greg whispers flirtatiously in her ear.

"With you, Sanders, I would have to assume you have a coat made out of Labrador retriever, and you know I can't tolerate cruelty to animals," she says as she smugly brushes him aside and strides down the hall.

"You know what I mean.  And don't say you don't!" he replies as he scampers to catch up to the ever elusive Detective Jude Harrison.

"Yeah, I know, but it's just not the same.  You're a field guy...and there is just something about lab geeks..."

"Well, I _am_ former lab geek."

"Yes, I know, and if you were still running the DNA lab, I would _so_ be hitting that," she says, then adds before he can respond, "Now, tell me what you have on the case."

Stunned by Jude's statement, Greg takes a moment before he responds.  "Well, all three victims had the same set of fingerprints around their necks.  Which means the same person killed these girls."

"Yeah, I found the same thing on the video.  The same hooded figure strangling all three girls.  The guy seemed to know right where the cameras were, so he avoided any angle that would show his face."

"You know what else this means.  You've got to watch your back."  Jude starts to protest when Greg stops her.  "Save it.  Look, this guy is going after girls who posed in that magazine for that photographer, and you can deny it all you want, I know it's you in that picture.  I would recognize that tush anywhere.  I'd say I could recognize it with my eyes shut, but if I tried that experiment, you'd probably hurt me."

"Yeah, and you'd probably like it."

"Most likely."

"Anyway," Jude says in an effort to turn the conversation back to business, "we should probably find Warrick and see what he found out in trace."

Warrick walks up to them as if on cue.  "I've been looking everywhere for you two.  The trace material we found on the stripper's clothes matches the trace they found on both of the other two victims."

"That's not surprising, considering the same set of fingerprints were on all three girls."

"Yeah, and the same hooded figure is on all three video tapes."

"So, what was the substance?" Greg asks.

"Well, it's not going to help us much.  It was men's cologne."

"What brand?" Jude asks.

"We don't know yet.  But it won't help us much anyway.  Until we have a suspect, it's not like we can trace it to one guy."

"Look, it is important, OK?  I need to know the second you find out what brand it is."

"Well, alright.  I'll go light a fire under Hodges," Warrick replies, then heads back to trace.

Greg looks at Jude.  "You have a suspect, don't you?"

"I really, really hope it isn't him, but if it is, I might be in really big trouble."

"Well, it's the end of our shift.  Want to get a drink and talk about it?"

"I don't drink, and I really can't talk about it, so I'm going to have to pass.  In fact, I think I really need to go."  Without another word, Jude takes off.

***

The next day, Captain Brass and the entire CSI team are in the conference room at the lab waiting for Jude.  Nick looks at Greg, "Do you have any idea why she called this meeting?"    
  
"I have no idea," he answers.  
  
"I thought you two hung out," Brass says, annoyed by being called into a meeting by one of his detectives.  
  
A woman walks into the room wearing a tan skirt suit with red pin stripes and a red silk shell under the jacket.  On her feet are tan knee high designer leather dress boots.  Her curly red hair is pulled back in a ponytail.  Brass looks up from the case file he is reading.  "It's about time you showed."  
  
Greg looks at the figure who has just entered, "Who are you and what have you done with Jude?" he asks.  
  
"Ha, ha, very funny," she says, lightly smacking him in the back of the head.  "Look, I know what you all think of me, despite the outstanding number of drug dealers I put behind bars in LA, and the number of cases I've closed here, I'm still the 'club kid' cop and none of you take me seriously.  Well, what I have to tell you all is deadly serious, so I  thought I'd dress for the occasion," she looks over at Brass, "Don't worry, once this is all over, I'll be returning to my old wardrobe."  
  
Grissom speaks up for the first time, "So, I'm guessing this has something to do with the case you've been working on with Warrick and Greg.  I thought you guys were close to closing it.  Why call all of us in on it?"  
  
"This case is much more complex than any of you realize.  I just got off the phone with the US attorney I was working with in LA.  I have been given clearance to tell you what you need to know so we can close this case."  
  
"This has something to do with a case you were working in LA?"  Warrick asks.  
  
"The reason I had to leave LA, actually.  I'm sure you all are familiar with the David Struvetski case?"  
  
"Yeah, that's the one where the undercover who made the bust had to testify over a closed circuit feed into the court to protect her identity," Catherine says.  
  
"Oh, yeah," Warrick adds, "Rumor has it she refused witness protection, but that was just a ruse to throw off the Russian mafia."  
  
"Did you know," Jude states, "that if you are in witness protection that you can no longer work in law enforcement?  I've worked too hard just to end up working in some dry cleaner's in Montana."  
  
"So that was you that put Struvetski behind bars," Nick adds.  
  
"Yeah, so here's the dealio," Jude says as she places a designer brief bag on the table and starts pulling files out to give to everyone, "David Struvetski was a heavy hitter with the Russian mafia.  His bank was selling designer club drugs that got more kids dead than high.  I infiltrated the club scene as a DJ, and, for those of you who were wondering, Sanders was right, that is me in the magazine."  
  
"Damn!"  Warrick mutters, and hands the 20 back to Nick, but before he can collect on the bet, Jude swipes the bill and tucks it into her cleavage.   
  
"Anyway," she says, trying to get the boys to focus on the matter at hand, "Ivan is David's younger brother.  He never wanted to be a part of his brother's criminal enterprises.  He just wanted to take pictures.  And, he was my way in.  Our theory is that other members of the the Struvetski gang figured out that the officer who took down their boss was one of Ivan's girls, and it is well known that he sleeps with almost everyone he shoots."  Looking at Warrick, she asks, "Were you able to identify the brand of cologne found on the victims?"  
  
"Yeah, it was Elsha."  
  
"And that brings me to my theory on the crime, which is supported by the evidence.  David's henchmen aren't just after me; they're trying to frame Ivan for my murder.  Elsha is his fragrance."  
  
"How do you know Ivan isn't the one doing this?"  Grissom asks.  
  
"There are many reasons why I know he's innocent, but the most important one is that my sources confirmed that Ivan got a job with Italian Vogue and has been in Europe the past six months."  
  
"Has anyone been in touch with the other DJ he photographed, to warn her?" Greg asks.  
  
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I just spoke to her, and in order to lure this guy to us, I've invited her here for a fun-filled girls' only weekend."  
  
"So, you're going to use her as bait?" Brass asks.  
  
"Actually, the plan is for me to be the bait.  I'm hoping that by bringing Annie here, the killer will realize I'm the one he wants."  
  
"And the DA is OK with this?"  
  
"He has to be.  This case is under the jurisdiction of the US attorney's office now.  I did convince him not to take the case from us, since LVPD broke the case by connecting the three murders."  
  
"You're not going into this alone, are you?" Greg asks concern apparent in his voice.  
  
"I can take care of myself," Jude says, clearly annoyed, "but no.  I'd like a few other people to be there in case back-up is needed."  
  
"Who do you want?" Brass asks.  
  
"Well, I was hoping you'd have some suggestions, since you know the team better than I do."  
  
"What do you need the others to do?"  
  
"Well, here is what I'm planning, two girls out on the town clubbing and gambling.  I just need some extra eyes out there to watch our backs.  Especially Annie's."  
  
"OK, I'll see who I can find and send them back here for a briefing."  
  
"Great, thanks," Jude answers absently, her mind clearly elsewhere.  
  
"Well, there isn't much more we can do right now, and we do have other cases to work on," Grissom says, then adds, "Warrick and Greg, why don't you review the files on the murders and the info Jude gave us and see if you can't get more of an idea of who we're dealing with."  
  
"Alright, Gris, we'll get right on it," Warrick answers.   
  
The CSIs leave the room and go off in their own directions.  Warrick and Greg head for the layout room when Greg suddenly stops.  "Hey, can I catch up with you in a bit?" he asks.  
 

“Yeah, sure thing. I’ll let you know if I find anything new," Warrick answers.

 "Thanks," Greg says as he heads back to the conference room.

Greg walks into the conference room and finds Jude sitting at the table with her elbows resting on the top and her head in her hands staring vacantly at a closed file in front of her.

"You know, those things are easier to read if you open them up," he says.

"Oh, hi, Greg," Jude says without looking up.

Greg grabs a chair, turns it around, and straddles it, facing her.  "OK, now I know something is wrong.  You never call me 'Greg', you usually just call me 'Sanders'."

Still not looking up, she replies, "Oh, sorry, I wasn't paying attention."

Taking her hand and forcing her to look at him, he tries again.  "Jude, talk to me."

She pulls her hand away from his and moves to the window.  "Leave it alone," she says quietly.

"OK, fine," he replies, "Why don't we get out of here and get something to eat?"

Jude turns to look at him, "Don't you have work to do?"

"I'm sure Warrick can handle it."

"Well, I guess a girl does have to eat."

As they are leaving the lab, they pass the layout room.  Warrick spots them and flags them down.  "Hey, Greggo!  Didn't Grissom tell both of us to review this evidence?"

"I'm going to lunch.  I think you can handle this without me."

"Alright man, I've got you covered."

***

At the restaurant, after ordering their food, they sit quietly for a few minutes before Greg speaks up.  "It's the case, isn't it?"

Staring down at her coffee cup, she responds, "Didn't I ask you to leave it alone?"  She looks up at him then, anger and pain sparking her blue-green eyes.  "Do you have any idea what it is like to spend four years of your life pretending to be someone else?  Lying to the people closest to you?"

"Um, no, CSIs don't get to play undercover badass."

"It's not 'play'," she responds and drops her gaze back to her coffee cup.

Placing his fingers under her chin, Greg tilts Jude's head up so she's looking at him.  "I'm sorry.  I didn't mean it like that.  Why don't you tell me about it?  It could help to talk about it."

She brushes his hand aside and gets up from the table.  "This was a bad idea.  I should go, get ready to pick up Annie from the airport.  If she sees me like this, she'll flip."

He stops her by gently grasping her wrist.  "Wait, sit, stay, eat.  You won't be any good to anybody on an empty stomach."

"OK, fine," she says, and sits back down.  The food arrives, and they eat in silence for several minutes until Jude speaks up.  "After the trial, when David was sentenced to life without parole, and I left LA, I thought I left all of this behind."

"Go on," Greg says, trying to encourage her to keep talking.

"Do you really want to hear about this?"

"Yeah, besides, it could help with the case."

"I don't see how delving into my personal relationship with the Struvetskis will help with this case."

"Well, I know you're not stupid, so you must just be blind."

"What the F are you talking about?"

"Don't you get it?   This entire case is about your relationship with the Struvetskis."

"How do you figure?"

"This guy, this lackey for the Russian Mafia, is killing girls that were involved with Ivan Struvetski.  He's killing these innocent girls in order to avenge David's incarceration.  He wants to get to you."

"What makes you think I was involved with Ivan?"

"You did.  You told us that Ivan sleeps with most of his models.  You know what fragrance he wears.  Even before you found out he was in Europe, you wanted him to be innocent.  Any good criminalist can tell you were close to him."

"CLOSE????  What do you know about close?  Sanders, you wouldn't recognize close if it snuck up and bit you in the ass.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I want to end this line of interrogation here.  I have to get to the airport."  With that, Jude storms out, upturning her chair in the process, leaving Greg with the check—and with all eyes on him.

***

Jude arrives at the airport dressed for a night out on the town.  She is wearing a black leather micro-mini skirt with a thigh slit up to there, a gold lame` halter top and black thigh high leather boots with a six inch spike heel and a gold chain around the ankle. 

"Lizzie!" a young pretty girl calls out to her from the concourse where her plane just landed.  Her dark hair falls loose around her head in a long, layered pageboy cut and is streaked with orange.  She wears tight blue jeans and a form fitting orange tank top.

"Annie!" Jude calls out to her friend.  They embrace tightly.  "So, what do you want to do first?  Hit a club or a casino?"

"Actually, Sweetie, I'm wiped.  Can we just go back to your place and hang?"

"Of course."  Jude grabs Annie's bags and they head out to her car.  When they get back to her place, Jude invites Annie to make herself at home and offers her a drink.

"I suppose it's too much to hope for that you have beer in the house?" Annie inquires.  Jude brings her a six pack of Heineken.  "Sweet!  You even remembered my brand!"

"Of course.  I always try to be a good hostess.  Sit; tell me how things have been in LA since I left."

"Oh, you know same old, same old.  You know, I was really surprised you stayed as long as you did.  I was totally expecting you to bail after you lost the baby."

"I know," Jude's voice turns sad, "And I totally wanted to.  There was just something I had to do."

"You're her, aren't you?  The cop who put David away?"

"How did you know?"

"Oh, come on, Lizzie, we're girlfriends, soul mates.  I know you.  Well, except for your real name."

"Hi, I'm Jude Harrison, and I'm an alcoholic," Jude jokes.

"Oh, thank God!  I always knew you weren't a girlie-girl, and that girlie name your bosses gave you...pee-yew!"

"Oh, yeah, and 'Annie' is such a tough-chick name."

They joked and laughed for a while longer, until Annie suddenly says, "So tell me, what was real and was just an act?"

"Well, you always got the real me, whether you believe it or not, and I totally understand if you don't trust me anymore."

"No, I believe you.  Wait, if that's the case, then, you were really in love with Ivan, weren't you?"

"Yeah, I broke a major rule, getting close to him, and to you."

"How could you stand it, him sleeping with all those other girls?"

"Oh, that was just Ivan.  I know he really loved me, too.  Maybe even still does.  I don't know.  He never returns any of my phone calls."

"I know he was devastated when you left.  Did you ever even tell him you were pregnant?"

"No way.  Even if I hadn't miscarried, there was no way I would have been able to keep it."

"OK, this is getting too deep for my first night in town.  I can't have you all depressed when you need to be protecting me from whoever the hell is trying to kill us.  So, tell me, is there a new man in your life?  You always did have to beat them off with a stick."

Jude smiles softly.  "Well, there is one guy that I work with."

"Want to tell me about him?"

Jude smiles a little more.  "Well, he is the most beautiful man I've ever met.  He works for the crime lab.  He is incredibly smart, wickedly funny, and very sweet.  Oh, and he has the nicest hands I have ever seen on a man.  I just want to feel them all over me."

"Wait.  You mean to tell me you haven't slept with him yet?"

"Um, no.  I'm _so_ not ready to get that involved with someone right now."

"Well, Hon, if I can just give you a word of advice, if, in some not so distant future day you decide you do want to get with this beautiful man, you really need to try and let yourself be more emotionally available."

"What the F are you talking about?  I'm plenty emotionally available."

"Yeah, sure.  Tell me this:  you're not undercover with this guy, right?  So, how much about you does he know?"

"Geez, chill, alright?  I only met him a month ago."

"Yeah, whatever.  OK, enough of this over-emotional crap.  Let's go out and get crazy."

"I thought you were too exhausted to go out."

"I changed my mind.  Let me shower and change and we'll go pick up some folks we _don't_ need to be emotionally available for."

Several minutes later, Annie comes back downstairs, dressed in black leather pants and a leather top with spaghetti straps.  She finds Jude snapping her cell phone shut, looking pointedly perturbed.  "Wow, who was that who got your panties in a knot?"

"I'm not wearing panties."

"Not my point.  Who was on the phone?"

"Ugh.  Ivan.  After two weeks of not returning my calls, he finally calls to say he's coming back to the states to 'protect' me.  I told him not to bother, that the creep after us is trying to set him up and he should say in Europe for his own good."

"And?"

Jude's phone rings again before she can respond.  "Listen, Ivan," she begins, before Greg cuts her off. 

"When you said you were close, I didn't realize that meant you were still in touch with the guy."

"Oh, Sanders, hi.  Listen, it's not what you think."

"Yeah, whatever, have a nice life," he says angrily, then hangs up the phone.

"Crime lab guy?" Annie asks.

"Yup," Jude responds, "I think things may have just blown up in my face."

"You never know.  Sometimes guys can be more forgiving than you think.  But, no matter, let's forget about him, let's forget about Ivan, for tonight, anyway, and go get our dance on."

***

Grissom calls Catherine and Warrick into his office.  "Dispatch just called.  Apparently Detective Harrison and her friend were attacked in the alley behind the Snake Pit.  Detective Curtis is one her way there now."

"What happened?  Are they alright?" Catherine asks.

"Jude is fine.  Her friend was attacked and raped, but Jude got there in time to fight the guy off and call for backup.  Catherine, I need you to go to the hospital with the vic.  Warrick, meet Sophia at the crime scene."

"OK, great," Warrick responds, "I'll grab Greg and we'll head out."

"No, go by yourself," Grissom orders, "I want Greg to stay here and help Nick with our case."

"But this could be related to _our_ case."

"Exactly, and I'm pulling Greg off your case.  He's gotten a little too attached to Detective Harrison, and we can't rule her out as a suspect."

"Grissom, you don't think she's dirty?"  Warrick asks.

"She drives a fancy sports car, wears designer clothes, and has a high-end townhouse in Seven Hills.  No one on a fifth-year detective's salary can afford all of that, so until we can eliminate her, we have to consider the possibility that she is involved in this."

***

Warrick arrives at the crime scene and finds Detective Curtis already interviewing Jude, who is holding an ice pack to the back of her head.

"Hey Warrick," Jude greets him.  "Where's Sanders?" she asks.

"He's been reassigned," Warrick answers.

"Guess he's still pissed at me," then, turning to Sophia, she asks, "What the hell happened to my backup?"

"Brass had them pulled.  They were needed elsewhere," Sophia responds.

"Translation:  Grissom thinks I'm involved and the guys who were supposed to be watching my back were reassigned to just plain watching.  Great, that's just great.  Well, it's a good thing I'm a black belt, or my best friend would be dead."

Drawing her back to the business at hand, Warrick asks, "So, do you want to tell me what happened here?"

"We were walking down the alley, and this dude comes out of the shadows and grabs Annie.  Why the hell wasn't I paying more attention to my surroundings?  I know better than this."

"You can't blame yourself," Warrick says.

"Why not?  I know this scumbag is after us, and I let my guard down, and now Annie is lying in a hospital bed."

"How can you be so sure this is the same guy?  I mean, this doesn't fit his M.O.  He developed a relationship with the other three victims," Warrick muses.

"Yeah, well, that tactic wouldn't work with us.  Annie doesn't date men, and I'm, apparently, emotionally unavailable."

"So, do you want to tell me what else happened?"

"This scuz bag drags Annie down the alley, and I take pursuit, only these stupid shoes," she gestures to her broken heel, "and I fall.  By the time I regained my footing and caught up with them, he was already on top of her.  I pulled him off, kicked his ass, and called it in."

They watch the squad car take off with the perp in the back seat.

"Is there anything else you want to add?" Warrick asks.

"Yeah, tell Grissom to look into who my parents are.  That will explain how I can afford my lavish lifestyle.  I'm not a dirty cop.  Now, I'm going to visit my friend and I'm going home.  Call me if you get anything."

***

Several hours later, Jude returns to her townhouse.  Pushing her now pink hair out of her face, and taking a deep breath, she pulls her cell phone out.  She stares at it for several minutes before hitting a button on her speed dial.  She listens to the voice mail greeting and leaves a message quickly before she can lose her nerve.  "Hey, Greg.  This is Jude.  I understand if you don't call me back, but I just wanted to explain something.  About Ivan.  See, he called me.  Wanted to come back to the states.  To protect me.  I told him not to bother.  Well, yeah, I guess that's all.  Guess I'll see you back at the lab.  Bye."  She hangs up the phone, lies back on the couch, and ponders what her life has become.

***

The next day at the lab, Warrick heads to Grissom's office.  "So, did you find out anything about Jude's parents?"

"Her father is Stuart Harrison, owner of Harrison Real Estate.  They're almost the Hiltons of the West Coast."

"Well, I guess that explains all of the expensive toys.  So, is she off the hook?"

"We can't rule anything out at this point, but it does offer an alternate theory."

"Great, so can I let her and Greg back in on the case?"

"Why don't you let me in on the case first?"

"Alright, well, get this, the attack on the girls last night may have nothing to do with the murder case."

"So wait," Grissom says, taking his glasses off and rubbing his eyes, "This attack could be completely random?"

"Maybe not random, but definitely not related to the dead girls."

"Well, are you going to tell me what this is related too, or are you going to keep me in suspense?"

"OK, well, first of all, this dude's fingerprints don't match the prints found on our vics.  Now, do you remember the case from a few months ago when that grease ball was attacking and raping girls in that alley?"

"Yeah, he stopped before we caught him.  We thought he had most likely left town."

"If he did, then he came back.  The DNA from Annie's SAE kit matched what we found on the other rape victims."

"Well, I guess this case is closed, then.  Why don't you call Greg and Jude and get back to our serial killer.  Jude and her friend are still in trouble, we've got to find this guy before someone else gets hurt."

"Right.  I'm on it, boss," Warrick replies, then leaves the office to call Greg and Jude.

Jude arrives at the lab with Annie in tow.  Warrick meets her at the door.  "You can't bring a civilian to the lab," he states. 

"Well, they released her from the hospital, and I'm _certainly not_ leaving her home alone."

"Alright, but Grissom isn't going to like it."

"Oh, like I give a damn what Grissom thinks.  Grissom can kiss my lily white ass!"

"Jude, you really need to work harder to get Gris to trust you."

"What?  By changing who I am?  No way, dude.  I am who I am, and I couldn't give a damn what anyone thinks.  Now, what have you got on the case?"

"Not now.  You know we can't discuss evidence in front of the victim."

"Right, of course.  Come on, Annie, you'll be OK in the break room."

"I would have been fine at your place," Annie responds.

"Yeah, well, too bad.  You're here now, and you're gonna like it!" Jude states, and then leads her to the break room. 

When they get there, they find Wendy Simms enjoying a brief respite from DNA processing.  "Hi, Jude," Wendy greets her, "Who's your friend?"

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to be rude.  Wendy Simms, this is Annie Rose, my good friend from LA."

"Nice to meet you, Annie," Wendy replies as they shake hands.  "If you don't mind me asking," Wendy continues, "how are you holding up after the attack?"

Annie gives Jude a look that says, "What, does everybody know?"

Wendy responds by saying, "Sorry, I ran the DNA on your case.  I didn't mean to impose."

"Oh, it's OK," Annie says, "I'm doing alright, I guess.  People wonder why I don't date men?  This is why!  Barbarians!  Barbarians whose lives are ruled by their little head!" 

Wendy looks back and forth between Annie and Jude then spots Nick walking by out of the corner of her eye.  "It was nice meeting you, Annie.  I have to get back to work now," Wendy says, as she races to catch up with Nick.

"Hey, Nick!" Wendy calls to get his attention.  He turns at the sound of the pretty lab tech's voice.

"Hey, Wendy, what's up?" Nick asks.

"Can I ask you something about Jude?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"She and her friend Annie....are they.....partners?"

"If you're asking what I think you're asking, I'm really not sure, but I'll see what I can find out....Wait, why are _you_ interested?"

Flustered, Wendy responds, "Oh, no reason, really.  I was just curious."

"Well, OK then.  I'll let you know the minute I find out anything."

 "Great, thanks," she responds, "I have to get back to the lab.  I'll talk to you later."

OK," Nick says, laughing a little bit.  The only thing he hadn't figured out is which one Wendy was interested in, Annie or Jude.

Nick goes in search of Greg, eager to share this with the one person who probably didn't want to hear it.  He finds Greg in the layout room, once again reviewing the evidence from the murder cases.  "Hey, Sanders," Nick says as he enters the room, "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Yes, please," he responds, "This stuff is starting to give me a migraine.  What's up?"

"You know, you and Jude really need to communicate more.  Wendy just asked me if she and Annie are 'partners'.  Do you know anything about that, at all?"

"Um, no.  But this could explain why she keeps blowing me off," Greg responds miserably.  "Now that you've brightened my already miserable day, I think I will get back to trying to figure out who is trying to kill our red hot lady detective and her delectable partner.  Who wouldn't want to be a part of that sandwich?  And who knows, maybe I'll get the chance.  Thanks, Nick," he says sarcastically, turning his attention back to the evidence.  Nick leaves Greg alone with his evidence, deciding to seek Jude out and out the truth so this whole line of questioning can be put to bed for good.

Nick finds Jude and Annie still in the break room.  Jude's cell phone rings as Nick walks in.

"Detective Harrison," she says, answering the call, "Oh, hi Captain.  I thought I was riding a desk for a few days....Yes, I understand I'm not supposed to bring civilians here, but I don't feel safe leaving her at home....yes, sir, I understand."  Jude hangs up the phone and looks at Annie.  "Captain Brass is sending a patrol officer here to take you back to my place and stay with you.  I guess that will have to do for now."

"It's ok, Hon," Annie says, "I would be more comfortable there, anyway.  Besides, you have work to do putting bad men behind bars."  The patrol officer comes in to collect Annie.  "This is getting better all the time," Annie remarks, "She is _cute_!"

Jude embraces her friend tightly.  "Be careful, Sweetie," she says, then turns to the officer, "You'd better take good care of my girl, or you and I are going to have issues."

"Yes, ma'am," the officer replies, and she and Annie leave the room.

Nick speaks up for the first time since he walked in.  "So, Jude, how long have you and Annie been, um, partners?"

"What would give you an idea like that, Stokes?  Do I not turn you on?"  She laughs and continues, "Actually, I was wondering if _you_ swing for the other team myself.  You're the only guy here that I haven't caught checking out my ass."

"Excuse me?  I am 100% Texas grown male, and I do love the ladies.  As a gentleman, however, I would never be caught checking them out in such a rude, wanton manner."

"Whoa, there, buddy.  I didn't mean to make the male ego rear its ugly little head, and despite the pointless nature of your inquiry, I will answer it," Jude states, walking over to the side of the table where Nick is sitting and sitting on the table in front of him.  She leans very close to him, "While I do occasionally enjoy the company of a lovely female specimen once in a while, I do, most assuredly, prefer the feeling of a hot masculine body in my bed." 

Not quite sure how to process the information, and his own hot masculine body starting to act on its own, Nick thanks Jude for her candor and rushes off to find Wendy.

Greg finds Jude in the break room, alone.  "Where's your little playmate?" he asks.  "I heard it was 'bring your lesbian to work' day."

"Brass found out she was here and sent a patrol officer to take her back to my place and keep an eye on her."

"So, what, was Ivan the boy toy in your three amigo tango?"

"Once, that only happened once!" she replied.

"Great, maybe I do have a chance after all, nice," Greg mutters to himself.

"What are you mumbling about, Sanders?"

"Oh, nothing.  Just wondering what else you did while you were undercover in vice."

Jude starts to put two and two together, between her conversation with Nick and Greg's current ramblings, and she responds, "Alright, so Annie, Ivan, and I did enjoy a night of unbridled passion while I was in LA, but Annie was the invited guest, not Ivan.  Annie and I have always been close friends, but I was Ivan's girl."

A look of not-quite-relief washes over Greg, and he asked, "So, you _were_ Ivan's girl, but you're not anymore?"

"No, I'm not anymore.  It's a long, complicated story, but basically, being the one responsible for putting a person's older brother in jail for life pretty much kills a relationship.  Now, can you please tell me what you found out about the guy who attacked Annie?  Is he our killer?"

"He is not our killer.  Just some scum bag serial rapist.  At least he's behind bars now.  Unfortunately, somebody is still trying to kill you and your girlfriend."

Jude stand ups from where she was still sitting on the table and begins to storm around the room.  "Great!  This is just great!  Not only do we have to watch our backs from some lackey of the Russian Mafia, but now I can't even protect my best friend from some random criminal?!?!"

Greg takes her by the shoulders and turns her to face him in an effort to comfort her, and he notices her new look for the first time.  "Is your hair pink?" he asks.

This stops Jude's bitching almost instantly.  "You just now noticed?  I thought you were a trained observer."

He takes in her entire outfit for the first time.  She is wearing a hot pink leather mini dress that matches her hair, and the same hot pink Doc Marten's she was wearing the night they first met.  Greg notices a tiny silver stud in her nose.  "Did you get your nose pierced?"

"Yeah, I'm sure Brass will have a fit when he sees it, but I wasn't worried about it at the time.  It's just something I do when I'm stressed out. When I need to relieve tension, I get something pierced, and as you can see, there is no more room in my ears."

"You know," Greg says as he moves behind her and once again places his hands on her shoulders, "I know a much better way to relieve tension," he whispers in her ear.

"Oh, I just bet you do."  Jude turns around to face Greg, she wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him to her and locks him in a deep, passionate kiss.  She then pulls away, steals his hat and saunters off saying, "Payback's a bitch, isn't it?"  She then makes her way over to PD to file her paperwork and try to come up with a way to break the case.

***

Later that night, Jude comes home from work to find the patrol car gone, the officer dead, her place tossed, and Annie missing.  The only thing left is a note on her coffee table with an odd poem written on it: 

  _On a bright sunny day in the middle of the night, two dead boys got up to fight, back to back they faced each other, drew their swords and shot one another, the deaf police heard the noise and came to kill the two dead boys, if you do not believe this lie is true then ask the blind man he saw it too._

Trembling, she picks up the phone and calls PD.  "Dispatch, this is Detective Jude Harrison.  My home has been broken into, and my friend is missing.  Send Captain Brass and CSI here ASAP."


	2. These Dreams

_Noise, so loud all consuming that it drowned out the sheer horror of what she was experiencing.  Blood, pain, people shouting, but not being able to discern fact from fiction.  The last few moments were a blur and now she was being whisked away in an ambulance.  Annie?  Where was Annie?  And how did she end up in this predicament?  An IV is inserted into her arm, liquid dreams are filtered into her veins, insuring that she remember nothing else until many hours later when she awakens in the hospital room.  She feels dried tears on her face and Annie is standing in the corner with her arms wrapped around herself, still crying.  Annie notices the slight movement and rushes to her side and grabs hold of her hand.  Breathlessly, she tells Jude what she fears most...she lost the baby and her apartment building exploded, killing many of her neighbors.  Annie, dear, sweet Annie, always there for her...she allows the shock of what she was just told to sink in and then turns away from Annie and asks her to leave the room.  She doesn't want her dear, sweet friend to see her so close to the end of her ropes.  She feels her whole body shaking with sadness...._

"Would you like some coffee?"  Jude hears someone saying to her.

"What?" she asks as she looks up, seeing Detective Sophia Curtis standing next to her.

"I said, would you like some coffee?"

"Oh, thank you," Jude replies, being brought back to the real world, where she notices the sirens, flashing lights, and yellow crime scene tape, taking a moment to realize where she was and why she was there.

"How are you holding up?"  Sophia asks the young detective.

"Not so good," she responds, truthfully, "I can't believe she's gone.  It seems like there has never been a time when we weren't there for each other, even though we've only known each other for a few years."

"Don't worry, Jude, we'll get her back," Sophia says in an attempt to comfort her, though they both know the odds are not in their favor.

Captain Brass walks over to the two women, not quite sure how he's going to tell Jude she can no longer work this case.  "Hey, girls," he greets them.  Both women look at him with disdain.  "Oh, I'm sorry, _ladies_ ," he says in an effort to correct himself.  They continue to eyeball him with "the look".  He sighs and tries once again.  "Hello, detectives."

"Better," Sophia replies.

"Sophia, could you excuse us for a moment, there is something I need to discuss with Jude," Brass says.  Sophia nods and goes to greet the other cops who have arrived on the scene.  "Listen, Jude, since this guy broke into your house that makes you a victim."

Jude cuts him off, "I know, that means I can no longer work on this case.  I understand."

"I think it would be best if I put you on administrative leave and the department put you up in a safe house."

"I have no problem taking an LOA, but the safe house isn't necessary.  I'll have my parents put me up in a suite at the Bellagio.  I'll tell them my place is being fumigated or something."

"Fine, but I'm going to post police protection around the hotel.  And may I suggest that you don't leave your room?"

"Understood, Captain.  Just let me know when Grissom has cleared my room so I can pull some things together."

"I'll take care of that now."  Brass gets on his walkie-talkie to ask Grissom to clear the master bedroom while Jude calls her parents to set up the hotel room.  Brass turns back to Jude.  "It's going to be a while before you can go back into the house.  In the mean time, why don't you go back to PD with Sophia to give her your official statement?  Then she can bring you back here to collect your things and take you to the hotel."

"Sure, Cap, whatever you say," Jude responds absently, still trying to wrap her head around the situation.  She didn't like being vulnerable, and having her home broken into and her best friend kidnapped made her feel extremely vulnerable. 

As she is getting into Sophia's car, Greg arrives at the scene and makes a beeline for Grissom, hoping to ease his fears of what might have happened.  Grissom stops him before he can enter the scene. 

"Greg, you can't cross the tape.  You're too close to the victim to be able to process the scene with a clear head.  You're no longer to work on this case or any case involving Detective Harrison."

"What happened?  Is Jude alright?"

Catherine responds, "She's fine, I think.  Her place was broken into and Annie was kidnapped."

"If Annie was kidnapped, I'm sure Jude isn't anywhere close to fine," Greg says, "Where is Sophia taking her?"

"To the station to get her statement.  Where did you think?" Catherine replies.

"See, this is why you can't work on her cases anymore.  You don't think clearly when she's involved," Grissom states.

"So, what am I supposed to do?  Go back to the lab and twiddle my thumbs?"

Catherine answers him again, "Why don't you go home, and in a couple of hours call your friend and check on her.  I'm sure it will help her more to have a friend right now than to have another CSI on the case."

***

A few hours later, after giving her statement to the police and collecting a few essentials from her home, she is pacing restlessly around her suite, starring at her cell phone.  Greg had called her every half hour for the past three hours, but she couldn't bring herself to answer the phone.  She didn't want him to see her like this, all vulnerable and exposed. 

She continues to pace around the room.  She has all of this tension built up, but is under orders not to leave her room, so she can't get anything pierced.  Hell, she can't even go to the gym and give a few whacks to the punching bag.  And none of the officers guarding her would volunteer to be her sparring partner. 

Her mind starts to drift, and she can't help but think about what Greg had said about relieving tension.  She’s thinking if she can keep things strictly physical between them, maybe he won't sense how needy she is.  She hadn't been intimate with anyone since her miscarriage, and she’s well overdo, she rationalizes to herself.  She picks up her phone and hits Greg's number on her speed dial.  When he answers, she says, "Don't talk, just come.  Bellagio, room 713," and hangs up.  He doesn't call back, so she assumes he is on his way. 

After the day she had, she thinks a shower is most definitely in order before her guest arrives.  She steps out of the shower, her pink hair falling in damp waves around her head.  She reaches for a towel to dry with when she hears a knock at the door. 

Wrapping the towel around herself, she rushes to the door.  "Oh, hey, Sanders.  I didn't realize you'd make it here so quickly," she greets Greg as she grabs him by his shirt and pulls him into the room.  Greg attempts to speak, but Jude silences him.  "Shhh....less talking, more kissing!"  She pulls him onto the couch and begins kissing him while simultaneously unbuttoning his shirt.  He breaks the kiss long enough to remove his shirt.  He lays her down on the sofa and continues to kiss her.  Greg unwraps the towel from around Jude's body and starts to trail kisses down her neck and shoulders.  Jude uses all of her will power to keep her emotions in check, as she can't help thinking back to her last romantic night with Ivan, the night before she lost her baby.

Unable to fight any longer, Jude feels the tears begin to roll down her cheeks.  She pushes Greg off of her, pulls her towel around her, sits up, and turns her back to Greg.

"Jude, what's wrong?" he asks, in an effort to understand what changed.

"Nothing," she says, "I think you should just go."

"Wait.  Why?  Did I do something wrong?"

"No, it's just; I don't want you to see me like this."

"Like what?"

"Vulnerable, weak..."

"Human?"  Greg takes his previously discarded shirt and wraps it around her.  "The secret is already out, Hon, I hate to be the one to break it too you, but you, Detective Jude Harrison, are a human being, flawed, vulnerable, and beautiful."

Turning to look at him, she gives him a weak smile, but says, "Well, it's still probably best if you go."

Greg looks at her, crosses his arms and says, simply, "I'm not going anywhere."

"Fine, knock yourself out, I'm going to bed."  Jude states, her defensive system once again fully intact.

"Wait, Jude," Greg says, as he grasps her wrist in an attempt to make her stay.

"If you do not let go of me, I will have you arrested for assaulting an officer."

"You don't want to do that Jude.  You're scared, hurt, and possess to much damn pride, but turning me in is _not_ something you want to do.  We both know it.  Now, quit running away from me and tell me what is going on.  I'm a great listener, a good friend, and I really just want to help."

Jude stops in her tracks and turns around, glaring at Greg.  What she sees in his eyes makes her bite what she was going to say.  She hasn't seen true love and concern directed toward her since that last night with Ivan.  Everything, the feelings, emotions, love, hope for the future coupled with fear and terror all come flooding back, causing her to have to catch her breath.  Reluctantly, she nods her head and allows Greg to follow her back to the sitting area. 

She begins, "To understand me, you have to understand where I came from, to understand that, I have to start well before Ivan came into my life..."

Before she truly begins her story, perhaps in an effort to stall, she stands up, properly puts Greg's shirt on and buttons it up, then removes the towel that has started to become uncomfortable.  She breaths deeply into the collar of the shirt.  "This smells really good.  What kind of cologne do you wear?"

"I don't wear any, it interferes with the job.  That's all me you smell.  And, you're stalling."

"Look, this isn't easy for me to talk about.  I've never told anyone this before.  This is probably why Annie accused me of being 'emotionally unavailable'."

"Somebody accused you of being emotionally unavailable?  I'm shocked!" Greg jokes, trying to ease the tension in the room.

"You know what, maybe you should just go," Jude says, but something in her voice betrays that she doesn't really mean it.

"I'm sorry.  It just felt like a little levity was in order," Greg responds.

"Look, I really don't want to delve into my personal mental issues at the moment.  Can we talk about something useful, like the case?"  Just that fast, the barriers that she had tried so hard to break down, had needed to break down for so long, slammed back up full force and she was back to "business as usual" Jude.

"I've got nothing for you on the case," Greg responds.

"Wait a minute, here.  I know you're not supposed to discuss an ongoing investigation with a victim, but I'm not just a victim, I'm a cop!"

"Calm down," he says, gently.  "I don't have anything for you because Grissom took me off the case.  I'll call Nick and Warrick and see if they'll meet me at the diner tomorrow to fill me in."

"Thanks, Greg that would be great."

"No problem."  He pulls out his phone, calls Warrick, and sets up the meeting.  He puts his phone away and looks at Jude.  "Now, where were we?"

"You were being way too nosy, and I was about to kick you out."

Sensing she was pulling away again, he doesn't press; he just climbs behind her on the big roomy sofa and starts massaging her shoulders.  "Still want me to leave?" he whispers in her ear.

"OK, you can stay for a few minutes more," she replies.

After several minutes of sitting in comfortable silence, Jude enjoying the feel of Greg's strong hands working the kinks out of her neck and shoulders, she looks up at him and asks, "Why are you so interested in the sordid details of my past?"

He wraps his arms around her and pulls her close to him so she is resting against his chest.  "Because there is something about you, something inside of you that resonates with me and I want to know the whole you...the good, the bad, and the...well, there's nothing about you that's ugly.  But I want to know you and that means the whole you.  The past is the past, but you have to be able to face it in order to have a sustainable future and I hope to be in that future."

Jude leans her head against his chest, looking up into his eyes.  _"He really does have amazing eyes,"_ she thinks to herself before taking a deep breath and speaking.  "You do have a way with words, Sanders.  Just remember, you asked for it, and when something tragic happens, don't say I didn't warn you."

"What do you mean 'tragic'?"

"Every time I open myself up to someone, inevitably, tragedy strikes."

"I think I'll take my chances.  You're worth the risk," he responds.

Realizing she should speak up now, or lose this incredible, beautiful man forever, she takes another deep breath and begins to speak.  "When I said I was the only girl in my family, that wasn't entirely true.  It's true now, but when I was younger, it wasn't.  I had a younger sister, Lucy.  She was less than a year younger than me, and we were inseparable, despite the fact we had nothing in common.  Surprisingly, with four older brothers, I was the only jock.  I took karate class, Lucy took dance.  She was in choir, I played soccer.  None of that mattered.  She was more like my twin than John, my actual twin was.  That is, until she turned 12." 

Jude stopped talking, clearly uncomfortable talking about Lucy.  Greg wraps his arms around her and entwines his fingers with hers.  "Go on," he urges gently.

"When she was 12, Lucy was diagnosed with a brain tumor.  Six months later, she was dead.  I was devastated, we all were.  My brothers and me, we all loved her madly and were fiercely protective of her.  She was our little Lucy.  Like I said, we were all devastated.  I was inconsolable."  

Talking about Lucy was not easy.  Just remembering her sister's bright, cheery smile, the smile she wore until the day she died, made Jude want to start bawling all over again.  "I was so inconsolable, in fact, that I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die," she quips, in an effort to regain control over her increasingly erratic feelings.

Greg just looks at her and says, "Get real, Jude."

Taking another deep breath, she continues.  "I wouldn't eat, I couldn't sleep.  I stopped going to karate, I couldn't concentrate in class.  I was basically a zombie.  And I couldn't stop crying."

"Well, you had just lost your sister that kind of thing is to be expected."

"Yeah, well, try telling my grandfather that."

"The one that was a cop?"

"Yep, that's the one.  My grandfather and I were very close.  Even though he wasn't much for emotions, I know he loved me dearly.  He was the one who finally helped me get over losing Lucy."

"How did he do that?"

"He helped me to find my strength.  'Showing emotions makes us weak,' he would say.  And 'a good cop does not indulge in the luxury of feeling.'  He told me I was the only strong one in the family, much stronger than my brothers, and I had to conquer my pain in order to help my brothers.  After spending time with my grandfather, I was back to my old self.  Eating, sleeping, fighting.  In fact, I made black belt that summer.  At 14, I was the youngest in the history of that dojo."

"Oh, Sweetie," Greg says, smoothing her hair and gently kissing her head, "You never did deal with Lucy's death, did you?"

"Were you not just listening to what I said?" Jude gripes, "I told you my Gramps helped me deal."

"You didn't deal, you suppressed."

"Same thing, now, do you want to hear about the rest of my damaged life, or do you want to sit there and bitch?"

"As much as you would love for me to sit her and bitch, I'm not letting you off the hook that easily.  I have the distinct feeling there is more to you, Jude Harrison."

"There is more to me, but it's been a long day, and I'm wiped.  Plus, you have that meeting with Warrick and Nick in the morning, so can we call it a night?"  Jude asks hopefully.

"Alright, but this doesn't let you off the hook," Greg responds, stifling a yawn.

"You know, you don't have to drive all the way back to your place.  You can always crash here," Jude says, hoping he will take her up on the offer.  She'd never admit it, but she really didn't want to be alone tonight.

"If you don't want to be alone tonight, you can just tell me.  I'd be glad to stay."

"It's not that," Jude lies, "It's just, you seem tired, and I'd hate for you to get in a wreck."

"You know, it's not that far to drive, I think I can handle it," Greg says as he puts his jacket on over his bare chest and heads for the door.

Looking down at the floor, Jude says softly, "No, wait, stay."

Greg turns around and looks at her.  "Are you asking me to stay?"

Jude looks up at him, slight anger flashing in her eyes.  "Yes, yes, I'm asking you to stay.  I'm scared, I'm weak, and I don't want to be alone.  Is that what you want to hear?"

"Since you asked me too, I'll stay," Greg says, taking off his jacket.

Jude tosses a pillow roughly at him.  "Good.  You're sleeping on the couch."

***

The next day, Greg meets Warrick and Nick at the diner.  Warrick is the first to see Greg, and stifling a grin, he says, "Hey Nick, do you smell something?" 

"No man what's that?"

Warrick sniffs Greg, "Whoa man are those the same clothes from yesterday??" he says as he playfully holds his nose.

"Warrick I bet they didn't actually stay on him the whole night so I doubt they smell that badly.   So spill, Greg did you have fun protecting our lady detective last night?"

"Come on, guys, it's not even like that.  We just talked."

"So you're telling us that you spent the night in a swanky hotel room with a lady you've been trying to get with for over a month, and all you did was talk?" Nick asks, incredulously.

"Yeah, I'm telling you, that's what happened.  Can we get down to business now?  What's going on with the case?  Any leads?"

Warrick responds, "Man, Grissom will have our asses for this if he knew we were giving this to you..."

Greg cuts him off.  "What's up with that?  And what's with Grissom taking me off the case, anyway?  It's not like he backed off when the woman he was sleeping with was kidnapped.  And Jude and I aren't even sleeping together!"  Greg bitches, rather loudly.

"Whoa, calm down there, hoss," Nick pleads, "We're dealing you in.  No need to freak out on us."

"Sorry, guys, I'm just worried about Jude.  So, what do you have for me?"

"Well," Warrick begins, "First of all, this poem was found at the scene."  He hands Greg a photocopy of the odd limerick that was left behind.  "Sophia asked Jude if it meant anything to her, and she said it was something she had read in middle school.  Which doesn't really tell us anything, because a lot of people read that poem in middle school."

"Were there prints on it?  And what about the printing, were we able to trace it?" Greg asks expectantly.

"The prints we found matched the prints on the three bodies, which also doesn't help us, since they're not in the system.  The note was printed on your run of the mill laser printer, standard to copy shops everywhere." Warrick answers.

"I found something interesting, though," Nick states, "I ran background checks on Ivan Struvetski, Annie Rose, and Jude's alter ego, Eliza Morgan, since they seem to be the targets of this maniac's attacks, and it turns out, the apartment they shared in LA exploded a few months before David Struvetski was even arrested.  It was determined that the cause of the blaze was arson.  LAPD had no suspects, but were able to determine that it had nothing to do with the undercover case."

"So, you're saying this could have nothing to do with Jude's undercover work?" Greg asks.

"Not likely," Nick continues, "I'm not entirely sure why LAPD didn't follow up on this, but Ivan had an apprentice, who disappeared shortly after the fire happened.  My theory is, Ivan did something to piss off his apprentice, and now he's on a rampage."

"Do we know who this apprentice is, or how to find him?" Greg asks.

"No, but maybe you could ask Jude about him," Nick suggests.

"While you're at it, you should ask her about the poem again, too," Warrick adds, "Sophia had a feeling Jude was hiding something when they talked about it."

"Doesn't it always seem like Jude is hiding something?" Nick asks.

"Oh come on, guys," Greg says, "Don't tell me you've jumped on the Grissom band wagon and think for one second Jude has anything to do with this.  She's the victim here."

"We're not saying that she's involved, Greg," Warrick says, "We're just saying that she seems to be hiding something, and whatever it is, she needs to come clean.  Her friend's life may depend on it."

Greg levels them both with a serious gaze.  "I'll talk to Jude.  I know she's not involved in this, but if she does know anything relevant about this apprentice, or anything else, I'll do my best to make sure she contacts you.  Thanks for this."  Greg gathers up the photocopies, pays for his meal, and heads out the door.

 

Greg heads to his place; deciding he'd better shower and change before meeting back up with Jude.  After freshening up, he heads back to the Bellagio.  Greg is walking down the corridor, a few feet from the door to Jude's room when his cell phone rings.  From the ring tone, Marilyn Manson's cover of "Sweet Dreams Are Made of This," he knew it was Jude.  He smiled a little, thinking she just couldn't wait to talk to him.  "You just can't stand it when we're apart, can you?" he says into the phone.

"Well, it's a good thing I'm sitting down then, isn't it?" Jude quips back.  "Are you still at the diner?" she asks.

"No, I've already left, why?"

"Well, I'm sick of room service, I can't leave my room, and I'm starving.  Could you please pick up something for me?"

"You've only been there one night, how can you be sick of room service already?"

"OK, so I'm not sick of it, but what I'm craving they don't have on the menu."

"Oh, really?  Now, would that be one Greg Sanders a la mode?"

"Maybe later.  Right now, I want _real_ food.  Can you pick me up something?  Please?"

He couldn't see her, but he could tell she was batting her eyelashes in that adorable way she had whenever she wanted something.  "Your wish is my command, m'lady," he responded.

"Great!  Can you get me a 4X4 animal style from In 'N Out Burger?"

"What all is in _that_?"

"Four mustard cooked all beef patties, lettuce, tomato, extra spread, a pickle, and grilled onions."

"Yikes.  And I thought those burgers Nick ate were huge.  Alright, one 4X4 animal style coming up."

"Thank you.  Oh, by the way, could you get it from the one on Centennial Center Blvd.?  They have the best fries."

"You've been in Vegas for a month, how do you know who has the best fries?"

"I'm a very good detective."

"OK, fine, one 4X4 animal style with fries from Centennial Center Blvd. coming up," he groaned inwardly at having to go so far out of the way, but somehow, he just couldn't say "no".  "Anything else?" he asked.

"Yeah, could you get me a strawberry shake?"

"You know only 12 year olds drink strawberry shakes, right?"

"Whatever, just bring me one, OK?"

"Coming right up.  See you in a few."  Greg hangs up his phone and heads back down to his car.

After driving halfway across the city, and waiting in a never-ending drive-thru line, Greg finally returns to the hotel with Jude's order.  He knocks on the door and she answers.  "Did anyone order room service?" he asks with a rakish grin.

"Oh, Greg, thank you _so_ much!" Jude responds.  "How much do I owe you?"

Greg points to his lips and says, "You can deposit payment right here."

She smiles at him and gives him a peck on the lips before digging into her food.

"So, what is it about this particular burger that you just had to have?"

"This was the only thing I would eat when I was pregnant.  It's comfort food."

Greg looks at her with a bit of shock on his face.  "You have a kid?" he asks.

"What?  No!" Jude replies, "Did I say I was pregnant?  I meant this is what Annie ate when she was pregnant."  Jude cursed herself for letting that slip.  She couldn't believe she had let her guard down that much.  Attempting to change the subject, she asks, "What did you find out about the case?"

Greg summed up for her the info that Nick and Warrick had provided, including Nick's theory about the apprentice and Sophia's notion that Jude was hiding something about the poem.  "So, do you know anything about this apprentice?"  Greg asks.

"A little bit.  Wow, Nick thinks he's the one who started the fire?  Wow, I had no idea.  If he's the one who did that, the one behind all of this, he's hurt me in more ways than he can ever know."

Sensing he wasn't getting anywhere with this discussion, Greg tried asking another question.  "Warrick said that Sophia felt you were hiding something when she asked you about the poem.  Were you?"

Snapped out of her thoughts, she asked him to repeat the question, so he did.  "Yeah, there was something else that I didn't tell her, but it can't possibly be related to the case."

"Jude, you're a detective," Greg says, "You know everything is relevant to a case, until it isn't."

"Yeah, but this is different."

"How is this different?"

"This is my life.  I know what's important and what isn't.  There is no way anybody from my 'Eliza' life could possibly know or care about the fact that..." she trailed off.

"The fact that, what?" Greg prompted her.  "Hey, haven't you figured out by now that you can tell me anything?"

"OK, fine," Jude says, polishing off her burger and fries.  "That poem was Lucy's favorite.  When she first got sick, she memorized it as an exercise in mental acuity.  She used to spend hours reciting it.  She figured as long as she could remember it, then the tumor hadn't destroyed too much of her brain, and she'd be alright."

"This could be important," Greg states, "Did anyone else outside of your family know about the poem?"

"Not that I can think of.  At that point, Lucy had been taken out of school, and none of her friends would come see her...No, wait, there was somebody, but she couldn't possibly have anything to do with this."

"You never know, Jude, people can surprise you."

"At that time, my oldest brother, George, had a girlfriend who spent a lot of time at our place.  She had to have been 16 or 17 at the time.  I think her name was Brittany Marlowe.  But I don't see how she could be involved in this.  Isn't the killer a man?"

"Maybe she's his accomplice.  Can you think of any reason why this girl might want to hurt you?"

"Actually yes.  After Lucy died, and I recovered from my mental breakdown, Brittany started to spend a lot of time with me.  She'd take me to karate practice, and then she would stay and watch.  After I won my black belt, she told me she was going to break up with George, because she had fallen for someone else.  She told me that George was just so dull, and this other person was exciting.  Then she told me how much she admired this person's strength, and beauty.  Then she said she could write a poem about my eyes.  Then, she kissed me.  I was 14, I had never been kissed before, and I had no idea what was going on.  I had lived a very sheltered life until then, I had very little idea about homosexuality, and no idea about bisexuality, I was confused, and a little bit scared."

"What did you do?"

"I punched her in the face and told her I liked boys."

"What did she do?"

"At first, she seemed to be very understanding, even though she kept saying, 'I know you are confused' and things like that.  The whole summer she kept coming around, trying to convince me that we should be together.  At the time, I didn't know what I liked and I didn't like, I just knew that I didn't like her."

"Then what happened?"

"During the school year, it was as if she was stalking me.  She had the same lunch as me and would insist on sitting with me.  She'd leave little gifts in my locker.  I had my first boyfriend that year, and during a football game, we were under the bleachers, making out, and she came over and dumped cold water on us.  Stupid little teenage things like that."

"Did you report her?"

"No, she was a senior and scheduled to graduate.  Mom and I decided if we reported her, she might not be able to graduate."

"So what happened?"

"She graduated and I never saw her again.  End of story."

"Maybe not.  I'm going to see if Nick can run a background check on her, and the apprentice, see if there is anything to connect them.  What was the apprentice's name?"

"Brian Murphy."

"OK, I'll have Nick get right on it."  Greg pulls out his cell phone and calls Nick.  "Hey Nick, it's Greg. I need you to do a background check on Brittany Marlowe and Brian Murphy and see if their paths cross."

"Who are these people?"

"Brian Murphy is the apprentice, and well, Brittany Marlowe is a person of interest."

"And where am I supposed to tell Grissom I got this information?"

"I don't know.  Tell him you got an anonymous tip."  Greg says and hangs up the phone.

 

Back at the lab, Nick brings his new info to Grissom so he can get permission to perform the background checks.

"You need background checks on Brittany Marlowe and Brian Murphy?  How did you get these names?"

"Anonymous tip," Nick responds.

"We can't get permission to perform background checks based on anonymous tips.  You know this, Nick.  We need more to go on."

"What if I told you Brian Murphy is Ivan's missing apprentice?"

"That might be enough to get a warrant for the background check on him, but we're going to need more for Brittany Marlowe."

"I'll see if I can find out more about her."

"Good idea," Grissom says as Nick turns to leave.  "Oh, and Nick, it might help if we know who your anonymous source is."

"Right," Nick says, then leaves the office while Grissom gets the warrants.  Once he is away from Grissom's office, Nick calls Greg to give him the news.

***

Greg and Jude are watching television when the "Hello, Good Buy" Target ad comes on.  "Ugh, my parents cringe every time they see this ad," Jude comments absently.

Before Greg can respond, his phone rings.  After talking for several minutes, he turns to Jude and relays the news.  "Nick said that they might be able to get a warrant for Brittany if they had more info on her.  I think you're going to have to talk to Grissom."  Greg informs her.

"Oh, hell no!  I am _not_ sharing one of my most traumatic teenage experiences with Grissom.  Besides, he probably wouldn't believe me, anyway."

"Well, you're going to have to talk to somebody who is working the case."

"OK, fine.  But I'll only talk to Warrick."

"You want to talk to Warrick?" Greg asks, somewhat peevishly.

"Yeah, he's my boy.  I've worked with him enough that I've built up a trusting rapport with him.  Don't worry, Greggo, you're still my number one CSI."  After telling him this, she emphasizes the last part of her speech by placing a light kiss on his lips.

"I'll make the call," Greg responds, with a gooey, almost love-struck look on his face.  Recovering his senses, he pulls out his cell and gives Warrick a call.  After speaking with his co-worker for a bit, he tells Jude, "Alright, Warrick is on his way."

"Great," she responds, nervously twirling her hair.

A few minutes later, Warrick arrives at the hotel room, and Jude repeats the story of her experience with Brittany Marlowe, including how she would be the only person outside of her family who would know the significance of the poem.  When she is finished, Warrick says, "You know, I'm going to have to tell Grissom this.  He's going to want to know why this woman is a person of interest."

Greg speaks up before Jude can rant about Grissom again.  "Can you just tell him what is necessary and maybe leave out the more, um, personal details?"

"I'll do the best that I can," Warrick responds.  "I should probably get back to the lab and see if I can get that warrant."  With that, Warrick heads out of the room and back to work.

Jude is sitting, still absently twirling her hair when Greg decides to broach a subject that's been bothering him all afternoon.  "So, Jude, what ever happened to your baby?"

Jude picks up a strand of her long hair and studies it.  "Why on God's green earth did I ever dye my hair _pink_?" she says, seeming not to have heard Greg's question.

Before he has an opportunity to press the issue further, Greg's cell phone rings.  "Oh, hey, Sara," he says when he hears the voice on the other end.  "How are things?...Really?  That's great!  How is your mom doing?...Really?  I'm glad to hear she's doing better.  Grissom will be glad, too.  Have you talked to him yet?...No?  Well, that's your choice, but I'm sure he'd like to hear from you...Alright, I'll quit pushing...No, I understand.  I'll talk to you later...Bye."

As he hangs up the phone, Jude looks up at him for the first time since Warrick left.  "Your friend Sara again?" she asks, not jealous, just curious, or that's what she tells herself.

"Yeah, Sara Sidle.  I told you she used to work for the crime lab, right?"

"Yeah, but what you didn't tell me is why you think it's so important for her to talk to Grissom, and why she won't."

"Sara and Grissom were, well, involved.  Sara left the lab a couple of months ago.  She went to San Francisco to visit her mother."

"OK, first let me wrap my head around the fact that Grissom had a girlfriend."  Jude pauses for several moments.  "OK, better now.  Is Sara's mother ill?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes.  The strange thing is, ever since she's been gone, she'll call me once or twice a week, but none of the rest of the team, including Grissom.  I mean, she and I are close, but for her to call me and not him is strange."

"That's very strange.  I wonder what she's hiding."  Jude muses.

"Probably not as much as you're hiding," Greg says under his breath.

***

Warrick knocks on the door to Grissom's office.  "Hey, Gris, I just talked to Nick's informant and I have some new information about Brittany Marlowe."

"And what did Detective Harrison have to say?" he asks, fixing Warrick with one of his classic "Grissom looks," looking at him over the top of his glasses.

Warrick laughs knowingly, not at all surprised that his boss knew who they had been talking too.  He takes a seat in the chair in front of the desk and relays the info he obtained to Grissom.  "The key is the poem," he starts, "Apparently; it was a favorite of Jude's younger sister, who would recite it repeatedly before she died.  Brittany Marlowe was the only person outside of her family who would have known that.  And she had a bit of an obsession with Jude, which led to stalking and childish pranks."

"That might be enough to get us the background check," Grissom replies.  "I ran the name Brian Murphy through the data base, and the only one living in LA at the time of the explosion has no records of existence at all before 2000.  It might help us make the connection between Brian Murphy and Brittany Marlowe if we knew what he was doing before then.  It might also help to know what, exactly; this guy has against Ivan Struvetski."

"I'll go back over to the hotel and see if Jude knows anything about that, and I'll get back to you."

Warrick arrives back at the hotel and knocks on the door.  Jude answers.  "Hey, I just need to ask you a few more questions, find out what you know about Brian Murphy."

"Sure, come on in," she tells him.

When Warrick enters the room, he notices Greg is on the phone, apparently trying to sooth and reassure the person on the other end.  Warrick gives Jude a quizzical look.

"His Nana Olaf.  He's been on the phone with her almost the entire time since you left the first time.  She'd called in a panic, said she foresaw pain and suffering in his future.  He's been trying to calm her down ever since."

"Oh yeah, I remember Greg telling me his grandmother has the gift of second sight," Warrick responded, slightly amused.  "Wait," he suddenly adds, "I thought Nana Olaf was no longer among the living."

Jude just shrugs and says, "Anyway," bringing the conversation back to the case, "What did you want to know about Brian?"

"Do you have any idea why this guy is out to get Ivan?"

"Well, I don't really know why I didn't think about this before, I guess I must have suppressed the memory or whatever, until we started to talk about Brian again, but what he had against Ivan was me."

"Let me guess, you were Brian's girl until Ivan came and swept you off your feet?"

"Not hardly.  I was already dating Ivan when Brian came to work for him.  He seemed to zero in on me right away.  He kept asking me what it was about Ivan that I liked, and if I would ever consider going out with a guy like him.  This went on for almost two years, before he finally lost it and attacked me.  Ivan fired him immediately, and two months later, the apartment exploded.  Guess that's why I never suspected Brian, because it happened so long after he was fired."

"Is there anything else you can tell me about him?"

"He had the most dramatic green eyes.  I've only seen eyes like that once before, on Brittany Marlowe.  Hmm...Must be something about me that draws the green eyed psychos!"

"I have a hunch," Warrick says suddenly.  "But first I need to see what Grissom found out about your friend Brittany."

"Care to enlighten me?"

"No, not just yet.  I'll call you if this pans out."

"OK, fine, leave me in the dark; this is only my _life_ we're talking about here!" Jude shouts, but Warrick is already out the door.

Greg hangs up the phone and looks at Jude.  "What'd I miss?"

"Nothing," she says, and goes into the other room.

 

Warrick gets back to the lab and finds Grissom in the conference room with Nick and Catherine.  "Hey, Gris, I have a theory about our psycho apprentice, but I'd like to see what you found out about Brittany Marlowe."

"Marlowe?  Why does that name sound familiar?" Catherine asks, "Oh, right, Tammy..."

"Don't worry, Cat, that was the first thing I thought of and there's no relation," Nick rushes to answer her.

"So what _did_ you find out?" Warrick asks.

"Well, it seems that there is no paperwork on Ms. Marlowe after 1999," Grissom says.

"And no record of Brian Murphy before 2000, that does support my theory," Warrick states.

"So, are you going to share your theory with the rest of the room, or do we have to guess?" Grissom asks.

"Alright, let me break it down for you," Warrick begins, "What if Brittany and Brian are the same person?"

"What?  You think Brittany had a sex change and became Brian?"  Catherine asks, not quite believing her ears.

"What makes you think this?"  Grissom asks.

"Well, what I didn't tell you about Brittany is that she was in love with Jude.  When Jude rejected her advances, she started stalking and the pranks began.  And Jude said something today that really made me think about this.  She said one of the things she remembers about Brian is his dramatic green eyes.  She said the only other time she'd seen eyes like that before were on Brittany."

"If you're right, and Brittany changed her gender to get to Jude, we need to find this guy fast.  Greg could be in trouble," Catherine says.

"How do you figure?" Nick asks.

"Well, this guy tried to frame Ivan for the murders, and we know he and Jude were involved.  He kidnapped Annie, Jude's best friend.  I mean, he seems to be out to destroy anyone who is close to her, and let's face it, those two haven't exactly been subtle in their flirtation," Catherine answers him.

"That would explain the call from Nana Olaf," Warrick says.

"I thought Nana Olaf was dead." Grissom muses.

Warrick just shrugs in reply.

***

An hour later, Jude comes out of the bathroom.  Greg is lying on the sofa thumbing through a magazine.  "What happened, did you fall in?" he asks without looking up.

"Would you have rescued me if I had?" Jude asks, walking over to the sofa, lifting up his legs, sitting down, and replacing his legs so they are draped over her lap.

Greg finally looks up at her and notices her long hair is now dramatically different.  "Whoa!" he exclaims.  "Do you realize your hair is black?"

"Is it?  Really?" Jude asks.  "Why I just have no idea how it got that way.  Something must have happened to it after I fell in."

"Cute," Greg responds.  "Have you ever considered picking a color and staying with it?" he asks.

"Dude, that's just not how I roll," she replies.  "So, I guess you don't like it?" she asks, seeming to want his opinion, but her tone tells a different story.  No matter how much she likes a guy, she just never could care one iota what he thought of her hair style.

"I never said I didn't like it.  It's just, I don't know, different.  It's going to take some getting used to.  Although, I'd better not get _too_ used to it, because I'm sure you'll change it in a week."

Jude sticks her tongue out at him in response.

"Don't stick that thing out at me unless you intend to use it!"

Jude looks down at his legs, which are still draped in her lap, rolls up his pants leg, and licks his ankle.

"So _not_ what I had in mind!" Greg says.

"What?" Jude looks at him innocently.

***

Back at the lab, the four CSIs are continuing to discuss the case when Grissom's phone rings.  He talks for several minutes before turning back to the team. 

"That was Brass.  He's located the current residence of Brian Murphy.  Warrick, you're with me.  Catherine and Nick, see if you guys can put together some kind of a time line for Brittany Marlowe/Brian Murphy.  We have to find out how he knew what Jude's undercover assignment was."

"Alright, we'll get right on it," Catherine responds as Warrick and Grissom head out of the lab.

Warrick and Grissom arrive at the address Brass had given them.  Warrick starts, realizing he's already been here two times in the last 24 hours.  "Murphy is staying at the Bellagio?  That's just scary."

"Yeah, he's been under our noses this whole time.  It's frightening to think he knew Jude would choose to stay here when she couldn't stay at her place."

"Frightening is putting it mildly."

They meet Brass in one of the lower level rooms, one not nearly as lavish as Jude's.

"How could he have been here this whole time without us knowing?" Grissom asks as he and Warrick enter the room.

"I'm not sure.  My guys are constantly on the lookout for someone suspicious.  I'm sure he wouldn't have gone anywhere near the seventh floor, with all the uniforms posted up there," Brass states.

"I don't suppose he was here when you got here and you have him safely locked in a cell?" Warrick asks.

"Unfortunately, no.  No one was home, and so far, there's no sign of Annie.  We haven't touched anything, just knocked on some doors.  It's all yours now."

Warrick and Grissom start to search the tiny hotel room.

"Hey, Gris, check this out!"  Warrick pulls an In 'N Out Burger uniform out of the closet.  "Greg said that Jude loves her In 'N Out Burger.  Said that she can out-burger Nick."

"Jude is a very disturbing young woman," Grissom responds, then continues searching the desk.  "Uh-oh, I think I know why Nana Olaf was so worried," Grissom suddenly says.

"I thought Nana Olaf was dead," Brass states.

Grissom just shrugs.

"What do you have there?" Warrick asks, interrupting their musings.

"Look at these pictures," Grissom says, showing Warrick and Brass pictures of Greg's car outside of the In 'N Out Burger, of Greg entering and exiting the hotel, of him at the diner with Nick and Warrick.

Brass gets on his walkie-talkie immediately.  Unit 72, remove Detective Harrison and CSI Sanders from this premises immediately.  Take them directly to the safe house, but do not utter one word about it until you are in the squad car."

"Yes, captain.  We will execute the order right away."  Comes the response.

Without hesitation, the patrol unit uses their key to open the door of Jude's hotel room.  When they enter the room, they find and interesting sight.

"Get this party started on a Saturday night...Everybody's waiting for me to arrive..." Greg is singing and dancing along with Pink as he throws his shirt to the ground and starts to remove his belt. Jude is watching him intently, and fighting back quite the case of the giggles.  His dance moves consist of tantalizing pelvic thrusts while tiny beads of sweat appear on his silky smooth chest.  One of the officers turns off the boom box and Greg immediately jumps off of the coffee table, startled.

Jude takes command of the situation immediately.  "Officers, you'd better have damn good reason for coming into my room unannounced."

The female officer responds.  "I'm sorry ma'am, sir," she looks over at Greg, trying not to ogle him as another officer hand him his shirt.  "Captain Brass ordered us to escort you from the premises immediately.  We are not to discuss the situation until we are in the squad car."  They escort Greg and Jude from the room, forming a protective human shield around them as they make their way to the squad car.

As soon as they are safely ensconced in the car, Jude pulls her cell phone out and calls Brass.  "What is the meaning of pulling me out of my room without warning?"

"It's for your own safety.  We just found out that Brian Murphy has been staying at this hotel, and that he's been stalking Greg," Brass responds.

"Oh, no," Jude says quietly, taking Greg's hand protectively.

"The patrol unit is going to take you to the safe house," Brass informs her.

"OK," she says, and hangs up the phone.

"What's going on?" Greg asks her.

"They're taking us to the safe house," Jude tells him quietly, holding his hand in both of hers and resting her head on his shoulder.

When they get to the safe house, Jude decides it would be best if Greg doesn't know what is going on.  She is sure she can hide her fear from him.  "Wow, this place is a dump!" she comments as they walk in.  "Hovel, sweet hovel," she continues to gripe about the tiny apartment just outside of Vegas.  "Make yourself at home, Sanders, we could be here a while."

"Are you ever going to tell me what's going on?" Greg asks.

Jude doesn't hear him.  She is patting herself down, looking for something.  "Shit, shit, shit!" she exclaims.  "I have to go back to the hotel!"

"I'm afraid that's impossible, ma'am," the female cop tells her.

"I know, I know.  Shit.  I left my Beretta behind!"

"Wait, _you_ don't have a gun?" Greg asks in disbelief.

"Oh, I have a gun," she pulls a small caliber hand gun out from the thigh holster under her skirt.  "I just don't have my _real_ gun.  I'll call Brass, maybe he can pick it up for me."  She pulls out her phone and calls her captain, who agrees to bring her gun to her when he is finished with the suspect's room.  She slumps down onto the dilapidated sofa and sighs heavily.

Greg sits down next to her.  "Jude, what's wrong?" What's going on?" he asks, not even trying to hide the fear in his voice.

"Nothing is going on, everything is fine.  I just miss my gun, that's all."

"You weren't missing your gun in the car, you were freaked out."

"Who? Me?  I don't get freaked out."

"That's why I'm sure something major is going on."

Realizing he is just going to badger her until she tells him, she decides it is to her advantage to speak up.  _Serves him right, anyway, he should have known better than to get close to me,_ she thinks.  "Remember when I told you that tragedy strikes anyone who gets too close to me?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, it's happening again.  Apparently Brass found out that not only has Brian Murphy been staying at the Bellagio, but he's been stalking you."

Greg looks at Jude, his eyes filled with shock and fear.  "Stalking me?  But how?  Why?"

"Fate."  Is all Jude would say.

"What do you mean?"

"I am destined to live my life alone, and everyone I get close to will meet unspeakable tragedy.  I should just take the hint and move to some remote part of the world before anyone else gets hurt."

"You don't really believe that, do you? Fate doesn't work like that."

"You know, I really must've done something in a previous life to piss someone off.  I mean, I try to live right.  I don't drink, I don't smoke, and I don't use drugs.  I'm a cop; I help people for God's sake!  Why can't I ever help the ones I love the most?"

"Jude, I've seen you in action.  I have no doubt you can protect me from this guy."

"Oh, you'd better believe I'm going to keep you safe, because, Sanders, I'm not letting you out of my sight until that psycho is behind bars."

"I can't think of anyone else I'd rather have watching my back...or my front, for that matter."

Jude tries, and fails, to stifle a massive yawn.  "Man, I am whipped.  I think it's time we tried to get some sleep."

Greg looks around the tiny apartment.  "Only one bed.  Guess I get the couch again."

"No way, dude!  I can't keep an eye on you if you're way over there.  We'll be sharing the bed tonight."  Jude straps her gun back to the inside of her thigh, strips down to her skivvies, and gets into bed.  She looks over at Greg.  "Are you coming?"

"You're wearing your gun to bed?"

"I almost always wear my gun to bed.  Especially under these circumstances."

"That's kind of hot, but also a little scary."  He says, before stripping down to his boxers and climbing into bed.

While Grissom, Warrick, and Brass were busy processing the hotel room and seeing to Greg's and Jude's safety, Nick and Catherine were busy at the lab.

"So, who do you want, Marlowe or Murphy?" Catherine asks Nick.

"I'll take Murphy, since you have a rapport with suspects named 'Marlowe'."

"Terrific.  See what you can find out, and we'll compare notes in an hour."

"Yes, ma'am!" Nick responds, and rushes off to work.

An hour later, he meets Catherine in her office.  "There isn't much to find out on this guy, but I think I know how he found Jude."

"Really?  Do tell!"

"Well, it seems he was working as a bartender at Click, which was David Struvetski's club, and the one where Jude worked as a DJ."

"Well, I struck pay dirt on Brittany."

"OK. Spill."

"It seems she has a brother, James, who is living right here in Las Vegas.  He's a chef at Dre's.  He's coming in to talk to me when he gets off shift."

"When will that be?"

Catherine looks at her watch.  "Oh, right about now."

As if on cue, the page comes over the loud speaker, "Catherine Willows, you have a visitor."

She looks at Nick.  "Let's go greet our guest."  At the reception desk, they see a tall, attractive man with sandy hair and grey eyes.  "James Marlowe?"  Catherine asks.  He nods his head in the affirmative.  "Hi, I'm Catherine Willows, and this is my associate, Nick Stokes.  Thank you so much for coming in on such short notice."

"No problem.  I just want to help," he answers quietly.

"Great.  Why don't we talk in my office, we'll be much more comfortable there."  She and Nick lead the man down the hall to her office.  On the way, she asks him if he would like coffee or anything else.  He declines refreshment.

They arrive at her office, and Catherine and Nick take the chairs behind her desk while James takes one in front.

"So, Mr. Marlowe, why don't you start by telling us about your sister's relationship with Jude Harrison?"

"OK," he says, still speaking in his quiet manner.  "It all started in high school.  Our families were very close.  Brittany was dating Jude's brother, George, and I was friends with her brother Richard.  Everything was fine until their sister Lucy got sick and died.  Everyone fell apart, especially Jude.  Until one day she just stopped being sad.  All Brittany could talk about was Jude's strength and beauty.  How she just couldn't imagine being the youngest sibling and having to be a rock for her older brothers.  She made advances on Jude, and when that failed, she started to stalk her.  It got pretty bad.  In 1992, after she graduated, my parents had her put in an institution.  She was in there for three years, while Jude finished high school.  During that time, Jude had lots of boyfriends, including me.  When Brittany came home, that was all she could talk about.  She kept asking me what kinds of guys she was dating, what sort of relationships she was having, that sort of thing."

"What did you tell her?"  Catherine asked.

"The truth.  That Jude dated lots of guys, but never anyone for more than a few weeks.  That seemed to placate her."

"Did you ever tell her that you were one of the many guys she dated?" Nick asked.

"No, but she did find out, eventually."

"How did that go?" Catherine asked.

"Not well, but I'll get to that."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to rush you," Catherine apologized, "Please, continue."

"Like I said, Britt seemed placated when she found out Jude didn't date anyone seriously.  She seemed better after that even started talking classes at UCLA."

"Jude's alma mater," Nick mused.

"We didn't realize Jude was enrolled there.  We were under the impression she went straight into the police academy.  Things were going really well, until about a year before Jude graduated from UCLA.  She had started dating the lead singer in her brother Paul's band, Sean Maxwell.  It seemed pretty serious, too.  Jude's first relationship to last more than a few weeks.  Britt lost it.  It was then she found out that I had dated Jude in high school.  She started asking me all these personal questions, like how Jude was in bed and things like that.  Then, it started getting strange.  She started asking me questions about what it was like to be a man.  My parents wanted to have her institutionalized again, but she wasn't a minor anymore, so they couldn't force her.  She moved out of the house, but I don't think she harassed Jude again.  I'm sure Richard would have told me if she had."

"Thank you, Mr. Marlowe.  I just have a few more questions for you, and I understand this might be difficult, but do you know if your sister would have had gender reassignment surgery?"  Catherine tries to ask the question as gently as possible.

"Yes, she did," James answers.  "She had it in 1999, not long after Jude graduated and Sean proposed to her."

"I don't suppose you have any idea what she changed her name to?" Nick asks.

"I'm not real sure.  I stopped talking to her after that.  Wait, I think it was something with a 'B'.  Billy...Burton...no, it was Brian!  Brian, Brian..."

"Murphy?" Nick finishes for him.

"Yes, that's it, Brian Murphy."

"OK, just one more question, and then you are free to go.  Do you have any idea where Brian would take someone if he had kidnapped them?" Catherine asks.

"Oh no!  Did Britt do something to Jude?"  James asks, alarmed.

"Well, sort of.  You see, Brian kidnapped Jude's best friend, Annie."

"I'm not sure if this will help, but our parents used to own a tiny ranch in Henderson.  Britt used to love it there when we were kids.  As far as I know, it's abandoned now, and has been for years."

"Could you write the address down for us?"  Catherine hands him a pen and a sheet of paper.  "Thank you, Mr. Marlowe.  We appreciate your cooperation."

"You're welcome.  If there is anything else I can do to help, please call me."

"We will thank you."  They shake hands, and James leaves the office.

"So, what do you think, Nick, do you think Brian saw Jude at the club, probably hanging all over Ivan and just snapped or what?"  Catherine asks.

"I would say that is a definite possibility.  I'd better call Brass and get this address to him."

"Tell him to meet us there."

Nick and Catherine arrive at the ranch to find Grissom, Warrick, and Brass already there.

"How did they get here so fast?" Nick asks in disbelief.

"Have you ever seen Grissom drive when a case is about to be solved?" Catherine responds.

"OK, that explains how he and Warrick got here, but doesn't Brass take his own car?" Nick wonders.

"Usually," Catherine says, looking around, "But I don't see it."

"Maybe Nana Olaf called him and warned him not to drive tonight."  Nick offers as an explanation.

"I thought Nana Olaf was dead."

Nick shrugs.

They finally get out of the Denali and join the others just outside of a dilapidated old barn.  "What took you guys so long?" Grissom asks.

"Well, I tend not to drive like a bat out of hell on public thru-ways," Catherine responds.

"Hey, Brass, where's your car?" Nick asks, exchanging a look with Catherine and trying not to laugh.

"Gil thought we'd all get here faster if I rode with him.  Obviously, he was right."

Detective Sophia Curtis pulls in and joins them in front of the barn.  "Was Jude relieved to have her gun back?" Warrick asks.

"Well, after she almost shot me with her backup piece for waking her up, she was.  I hope that is the last time I'm ever held up at gunpoint by an angry woman in lingerie!"

Brass looks at Grissom, "So, where do you want to start?"

"Right now, I think it would be best if only CSI went into that barn.  Catherine, you're with me.  Nick and Warrick, take the perimeter.  There is a lot of ground to cover here."

Grissom and Catherine enter the ancient barn only to discover dust.  Lots and lots of it.  "So Gil," Catherine starts, "Did you choose the barn so you can see if you can add to your bug collection?  Looks like it's been devoid of human life for quite some time."

"Just the kind of place I would use if I had kidnapped somebody and I didn't want them found."

"Oh, please.  I'm sure you'd find a better place than your parent's old ranch."

They begin to process the barn.  It's a small, square building with a single large room on the lower level and a hay loft above.  The floor of the barn is covered in hay, and there is not much else in the room but some old riding equipment.  A saddle, bridle, and riding crop rested against one wall.

"Giddy up, cowboy...looks like this place hasn't been as devoid of human inhabitation as I thought," Catherine comments.

"I don't think this saddle has seen a rider in years," Grissom responds.

"Just because it hasn't been ridden doesn't mean that it hasn't been on a ride," Catherine quips.

Not taking the bait, Grissom responds, "Process it for prints and DNA."

Warrick and Nick begin to process the ranch itself.  "Man, this place reminds me of a ranch back in Austin where they used to have haunted hay rides every Halloween...deserted, desolate, and spooky," Nick observes.

"Yeah, I don't think much 'ranching' has been done on this place since the turn of the century," Warrick agrees.

The ranch is a dreary expanse of sand and shrubs, the lonely barn the only break in the landscape.

"I'm not finding anything.  No shoe prints, no fibers, no nothing!" Nick complains.  "I hope you're having better luck over there."

"I may have found something," Warrick responds.  "Tire treads heading towards the highway.  Looks like they could be from a dually, but the ground is so hard, there's no tread detail."

"Let's get a cast of it anyway.  Maybe the computer will find something."

"Let's hope so."

Catherine and Grissom finish processing the lower level of the barn and make their way to the hay loft.  The loft was a completely different story from the rest of the barn.  It was almost homey...as homey as a loft in a dilapidated barn could be, anyway.  The windows were covered with hot pink and purple gauze curtains, and a matching beaded curtain separated the loft into two sections.  When they entered the loft they found what appeared to be a small sitting area with a small love seat covered in purple paisley fabric and a white wicker end table with a small wrought-iron lamp sitting on it.

"This looks like it could be a teenage girl's room," Catherine remarks before pulling her gun and going through the beaded curtain. 

They enter what looks like a bed room.  There is a white cast iron day bed against one wall, covered with blankets.  There is a small desk with a television sitting on it against the other wall.  A Rolling Stones poster hangs over the bed. 

As Catherine and Grissom are looking around the room, they suddenly hear movement coming from under the blankets on the bed.  Catherine holds her gun steady on the figure in the bed while Grissom pulls the covers away.

"Oh my God!  It's Annie!" Catherine exclaims as she puts her gun away.

They find Annie lying on the bed, bound and gagged.  Her hands are tied behind her back and her feet are secured at the ankles.  A bandana is tied around her mouth.  Catherine frees Annie from her restraints while Grissom calls the paramedics.

Catherine carefully removes the restraints, trying not to destroy any evidence.  She bags the rope and the bandana.  As she is freeing her, Catherine asks her who did this.  "I know this isn't easy for you, but do you know the person who did this to you?"

"Yeah, it was that freak that used to work for Ivan Struvetski, Brian Murphy," Annie responds, somewhat groggily.  "That dude was completely obsessed with Jude.  Is she OK?"  Annie's concern for her friend shows, despite her current condition.

"She's fine.  We'll call her as soon as we get you to the hospital," Catherine responds.

Grissom and Catherine help Annie out of the loft just as the paramedics arrive.  The EMTs get her into the ambulance.  Brass tells Sophia to go with them.  Grissom suggests that Catherine go as well, to collect whatever evidence may be left on the victim.

"I'll call Jude on the way to Desert Palms," Sophia offers.

The men stay behind to see if they can find any evidence on the whereabouts of Brian Murphy.

***

_Someone is chasing her, she's running, but she can't really move.  She looks behind her, but can't make out what is behind her.  She hears something in the distance.  She can't tell what it is.  It could be an alarm...No, it's ringing_...Jude awakens when her phone rings to find Greg's arm draped around her.  She can only move enough to answer the phone, until Sophia gives her the good news, then she sits straight up, waking Greg in the process.

Greg looks at her sleepily, "What's going on?"

"Get dressed, we need to go to the hospital," she says, as she tosses his clothes at him.

Jude gets dressed and puts on her shoulder holster, placing her beloved Beretta close to her heart.  She wakes up the patrol unit and has them drive to the hospital.

Jude paces around the waiting room for what seems like an unending time.  "The doctor won't let me see her.  Why won't they let me see her?" she gripes in a relentless rant.  Greg tries unsuccessfully a number of times to calm her down.  Finally, the doctor comes out to talk to her.

"She's a bit groggy, but you can see her now," he says.

"Was she hurt badly?" Jude asks.

"No, just minor cuts and bruises.  She should be fine," he responds.

"Awesome!" Jude says, and rushes into Annie's room.  She sits by her friend's bed and takes her hand.  "How are you doing Sweetie?" she asks.

Annie opens her eyes and looks up at Jude.  "What the hell did you do to your hair?"

Jude laughs and responds, "Glad to see you're already feeling better.  Don't worry, it's only temporary."

"Thank God, because you look like shit with black hair."

"Gee, thanks, I love you, too."

***

A week later, Annie, Greg, and Jude (whose black hair had faded to purple) are having breakfast at the lab's favorite diner.  "So, did you guys ever catch the psycho?" Annie asks.

"Warrick said they couldn't find any evidence at the ranch or in the hotel room of where he might have gone," Greg responds.  "He stopped showing up at work.  He's in the wind."

"Lovely," Jude responds, then turns to Annie.  "So, I guess you're going to be headed back to LA now and forget about Vegas and that you ever knew me."

"I am going to head back to LA.  You know me, I like to live each day to the fullest, and this little 'experience' kind of reminded me of that.  I'm going to see if I can try to make things right with my parents.  But, no, I would never want to forget I ever knew you.  And as for Vegas, I might be back.  It does have certain appeal.  Speaking of which..."  At just that moment, Wendy Simms walks into the diner.


End file.
